


The Salvation of the King

by NightValeian



Series: Trials of the Serpent King [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Battle Scenes, Brief Descriptions of Major Injury, Dimension Travel, F/M, Falling In Love, Found Family, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Multi, Not Really Character Death, Other, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27461839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightValeian/pseuds/NightValeian
Summary: Following the events of The Road to Eden, Anthony Crowley and his company find themselves reeling from an unexpected betrayal, but continue to push toward their goal of reclaiming the throne which is now well within their reach.However, their journey, while being so close to ending, is still far from over and Ezra Fell will find himself not only fighting for Crowley, but also fighting to remain in the world he now calls home.~Book 3 in the Trials of the Serpent King trilogy~
Relationships: Aziraphale & Gabriel (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Beelzebub & Gabriel (Good Omens), Hastur & Ligur (Good Omens)
Series: Trials of the Serpent King [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913596
Comments: 66
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we are!
> 
> This is the final book in the trilogy and I beg you to be aware of the tags so you don't get caught off guard by anything. It gets a little rough there for a minute. 
> 
> This is the third part of a trilogy, so if you haven't read the first two parts, you may be confused :)

The journey to Tadfield was incredibly long and equally exhausting. Not that the journey had been particularly challenging in a physical sense, but in the aftermath of Beelzebub’s betrayal, there was some kind of heaviness that hung over the company which had become particularly draining. It had also been the first of their travels that Crowley and Ezra hadn’t interacted throughout the entire trip. It had been a week since Bee had walked out of their company and also an entire week since Crowley and Ezra had spoken to one another.

Immediately after their confrontation with Crowley, Beelzebub had gathered their things and left camp without another word. Upon exiting the tent following his argument with Ezra, Crowley had announced they would take the night to recover from the assassin ambush and head out the following morning. Crowley had continued on to say that Beelzebub was no longer a welcome member of the company and that was all he would say on the matter. 

Ezra wasn’t particularly worried about Crowley’s attitude regarding what had happened with Beelzebub. After all, he knew how the books ended and he knew that Bee wasn’t really far away, merely lingering in the more heavily wooded areas during their journey to keep a close eye on the company. Their loyalties had changed and when the time for the final battle against Lucifer finally came, Bee would be there and they would be fighting for Crowley. 

Ezra knew Crowley’s anger had been justified. After all, he was leading a company unknowingly into danger and the man he thought he could trust to  _ warn _ him of the danger chose not to tell him. Crowley had also been very upset about how Ezra had nearly been killed during the attack and that had only heightened the emotions that Crowley had been feeling. 

His anger had been justified, but they still hadn’t spoken a word to one another since, and that hurt Ezra far more than their argument had. So he kept to himself, he never spoke of it, and he spent far more time at Gabriel’s side in hopes that it would make him feel less lonely. Gabriel had taken Bee’s betrayal the hardest and he expressed it by throwing himself more into his work. He refused to talk about them, so Ezra never mentioned them, talking about literally anything other than Crowley or Bee instead. 

“Why don’t you just talk to him?” Gabriel had finally asked one afternoon during their travels. They were well on their way to Tadfield by that point, which happened to be the last town before the final battle with Lucifer. They would rest there for a day or so, finish preparing for the battle, and then continue onwards to the end of the book. “You  _ should _ talk to him before our fight with Lucifer’s army, you know.”

“I know.” Ezra sighed because he  _ did _ know and he wanted to talk to Crowley more than anything, but he was afraid. “What if he’s still angry with me?” 

“I don’t really understand how you two have been fighting over  _ that _ for almost an entire week.” Gabriel pointed out. “I know he was worried about your safety, but it isn’t as if you weren’t already throwing yourself into danger every other week.” 

“Thank you, Gabriel. Really.” Ezra sighed, running a hand over his face. “I’ve told you it goes a little deeper than just the being in danger thing.” 

“Yes, but you won’t tell me the other reason.” Gabriel said. “So I simply have to assume--” 

“Gabriel,  _ please _ .” Ezra groaned. “I really don’t want to talk about how Crowley and I are fighting.” 

“Fine, fine.” Gabriel said with a shrug. “But I stand by what I said. You should talk to him  _ before  _ we charge into battle.”

Gabriel was right, of course, and maybe Ezra would work up the nerve to talk to Crowley when they finally made it into town. After all, he wasn’t sure what would happen after Crowley won the battle. Would he end up going back to his own world and if so, should they really be wasting the time they could have together arguing over something so small? 

“When we get into town, I will.” 

“Give your word?” 

“Yes, I give my word.”

* * *

Their journey to Tadfield had been long and tense, so when they’d seen the outside of the town approaching on the horizon, the entire company seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. They hadn’t had a moment’s peace or a restful night’s sleep since the assassin attack and this was their chance to finally have some time to collect themselves once again. 

However, the closer they got to town, Hastur and Ligur were becoming more and more insufferable. They kept whispering to one another while looking in Shadwell’s direction and one of them would occasionally burst out laughing so loudly that it would attract attention from many other members of the company. 

“What’s got you two in such a state?” Ezra finally asked, since apparently no one else was going to and curiosity had finally gotten the best of him. “Finally cracked from the long journey, have we?” 

“Of course not, Mister Aziraphale.” Ligur told him easily. “We were just discussing what we were going to see upon our arrival to Tadfield.” 

“Is that so funny?” Ezra asked curiously. He didn’t recall there being anything particularly exciting about the town from the books, so he didn’t understand what all of the fuss was about.

“Not until you think about how in a tizzy Mister Shadwell will be when he sees his lady love.” Hastur said with a grin. 

Ah, Ezra realized. He’d forgotten all about Shadwell’s lady love.

“His...lady love?” Gabriel inquired from beside him, seeming genuinely interested in this bit of information. “Mister  _ Shadwell _ has a lady love?” 

“Oh, absolutely. Left her behind to come help with Crowley’s fight, but he’s been bumbling nonstop since he realized we were going to be there for a few days.” Hastur continued with a cackle. “His  _ Madame.” _

“M-Madame?” Gabriel stammered. 

“Madame Tracy.” Ligur supplied. 

“And what exactly is she a Madame of?” 

“Not sure. Never met her.” Hastur replied. “Though from what Mister Shadwell tells us, I swear she’s some kind of a witch or even some kind of mystical being.” 

“A witch?” Ezra asked in surprise. The books had never confirmed nor denied Tracy’s magical abilities, but Ezra had always interpreted her as having some magical aura about her. Though he certainly wouldn’t call her a witch. “A mythical being? Are you sure?”

“Don’t listen to him. He overreacts.” Ligur said with a roll of his eyes and Hastur shoved him. “Madame Tracy has some interesting side hobbies, according to Mister Shadwell. Says she can see the future and even talk to the dead.” 

“Looks like we’re going to meet someone else with a touch of magic in them, hm?” Gabriel suggested, nudging Ezra. “Perhaps you could compare visions.” 

“Or something.” Ezra said with a snort. If this woman were truly someone with any kind of magic, she would know immediately that Ezra was not like her at all. “But why is it funny that he’s excited to see this...lady love?” 

“Now I’m  _ sure  _ you’ve never seen him talk about her.” Hastur said with a grin. “He stumbles over his feet, stumbles over his words even, keeps muttering what he’s going to say to her under his breath but has absolutely no idea what the word romance means.” 

“He called her jezebel once. Talk about unromantic.” Ligur grumbled. 

“Gods, I can’t wait to see it in person.” Hastur said wistfully. 

“You’re terrible.” Ezra laughed. “Absolutely terrible.” 

“He’s aware.” Ligur told him with a roll of his eyes. “Believe me.” 

* * *

When they arrived at Tadfield, they had been warmly welcomed by the people who lived there and preparations were quickly made to get everyone settled in different areas around town so that everyone would have somewhere to sleep that wasn’t outside in a tent. The company was relieved, quick and eager to set off to eat or relax, while Ezra was trying to work up the nerve to even talk to Crowley about the argument they’d had a week prior, but he just couldn’t do it. Crowley had never been angry at him before and Ezra didn’t know how to handle it. 

“You don’t have to worry about all of that right now.” Gabriel told him from where he had been standing beside Ezra the entire time, watching him ring wrinkles into his shirt. 

“I told you I would talk to him when we arrived at Tadfield and we’ve arrived. I can do this.” Ezra took a deep breath, set his shoulders with his hands at his sides, and found Crowley in the crowd. He took a step forward, then another, and another, but when Crowley’s eyes found him, Ezra faltered and he deflated, taking a step back towards Gabriel. “I...I can’t do this.” 

“I told you to talk to him, I didn’t tell you to do it the moment we got here.” Gabriel pointed out, putting a hand on his shoulder and steering him away from Crowley’s view. “You can stay in my room with me. Grab your things.” 

Ezra spent the first night in Tadfield sleeping in Gabriel’s room, running through the speech he planned on presenting to Crowley regarding their argument in his mind nonstop. Throughout the following morning, Ezra stayed glued to Gabriel’s side, effectively avoiding Crowley at every possible encounter. He knew that he couldn’t avoid him forever. What took Ezra by surprise was that by the time he’d worked up the courage to try and talk to him, Crowley had approached him first. He’d walked right up to him and Gabriel when they’d left the tavern after dinner, hands behind his back, and his eyes staring down at the ground looking guilty. 

“Aziraphale,” Crowley began. “May I speak with you?” 

Ezra swallowed, looking up at Gabriel who only nodded with encouragement. “Ah...Yes, of course.” He said with a weak smile. “If you’ll excuse me, Gabriel.” 

“Of course.” Gabriel said gently with a smile of his own before he walked off, leaving Crowley and Ezra alone for the first time since the assassin attack on the camp. They stared at each other for a very long time before Ezra looked away, staring down at his hands as they twisted anxiously in front of him. 

“What would you like to speak to me about, your highness?”

Ezra heard Crowley’s sharp intake of breath, knowing that resorting back to his formal title was as bad as a slap to the face, but he didn’t know where they currently stood after their argument.

“Oh, angel...Are you already so formal with me?” Crowley asked quietly, taking a step forward. “You won’t even look at me, love?” 

Ezra kept his head down, blinking away the burning behind his eyes. Crowley was still calling him ‘love’, still calling him ‘angel’. “I thought you were angry with me…I wasn’t sure if you still--” 

“One argument is not going to change how I feel about you.” Crowley said gently, lifting one hand and tucking it under Ezra’s chin, tilting his head up so their eyes could meet. “People argue sometimes, angel. We can move past it, can’t we?” 

“Oh, I’d like that very much, darling.” Ezra sniffled, a somewhat stronger smile gracing his lips this time. “I’m so  _ sorry--” _

“No,  _ I’m  _ sorry.” Crowley murmured. “I shouldn’t have gotten so angry with you. You had your reasons for not telling me.”

“Yes, I had my reasons, just like you had your reasons for being so upset with me.” Ezra told him. “I betrayed your trust by not telling you about Bee and I shouldn’t have done such a terrible thing. I have never given you a reason to not trust me and I can’t imagine how upsetting that was for you--” 

“It was upsetting, but...after a few days of not speaking to you, I think that was even worse.” Crowley replied, leaning in until their foreheads were pressed together. Ezra sank into the touch, closing his eyes peacefully. He’d missed him so terribly. “I want us to be able to trust one another, Ezra, but I understand if there are things you can’t tell me about.” 

“I thought I was doing the right thing…” Ezra said softly. “I thought I could fix it on my own.” 

“You’re not alone.” Crowley reminded him. “You don’t have to do any of this on your own. You have me, you have the company; any burdens you bear, you can share them with us.” 

“I know, darling, I know.” Ezra hummed softly, his hands reaching out for Crowley’s only to have Crowley withdraw from him, one hand still hidden behind his back. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“Not at all.” Crowley said, shifting from side to side on his feet nervously. “Actually, I...brought you a gift.”

“A gift?” Ezra echoed in surprise. “For me?” 

“I couldn’t get you much of anything because of our travels, but you’ve always told me how much you love your books in your world, so I thought I could pick something up for you that you would enjoy.” Crowley explained, bringing a thick, leather-bound book out from behind his back and holding it out. In a neat golden script across the cover were the words Fairy Tales. “I know it’s probably not the most  _ interesting _ \--” 

“Oh, Anthony...It’s lovely.” Ezra cooed, taking the book from him and running a hand along the cover in wonder. It was a beautifully bound book, never been touched, and when he opened the cover, he was met with the fresh scent of a new book. “It’s  _ gorgeous,  _ really.”

Crowley’s cheeks went pink and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I didn’t know if you’d like it or not. I picked something that I know  _ I _ would have liked and...well.” He admitted, then looked over at him hopefully. “You...You really like it then?” 

“I think it’s wonderful and what makes it even more so is that you picked it out for me.” Ezra told him with a smile. He tucked the book against his chest and held out his free hand for Crowley to take. “I could read it to you if you’d like?” 

Crowley took his hand, laced their fingers together, and brought his hand up to his lips. “That sounds wonderful, angel.” He said with a smile against his skin. “Shall we?”

“Oh, of course, but before I go running off I should really tell Gabriel not to wait up for me.” Ezra pointed out. Crowley continued to pepper the back of his hand with kiss after kiss and Ezra could feel his face getting hot. “I-I wouldn’t want him to worry.” 

“You’ve been staying with Gabriel?” Crowley asked curiously and when Ezra nodded in reply, Crowley’s expression turned thoughtful. “You know, you could stay with me. If you like.” 

“In...your room?” Ezra asked in surprise. Sure, Ezra had spent a lot of time with Crowley in his tent during their travels, had even fallen asleep in there a time or two during their late-night conversations, but for some reason staying in a  _ room _ with Crowley felt a bit more intimate. 

“If you’d like. Just to sleep, of course.” Crowley said carefully, studying his expression. “Eliminate the whole going back and forth in the middle of the night thing, but only if you want to.”

Ezra considered it for a few moments. He imagined falling asleep next to Crowley, wrapped up in the warmth of his arms, and he imagined waking up next to him, having him be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. It was a rather nice thought, actually, and he was sure he wouldn’t mind doing that for the rest of his life either. 

“I think that sounds lovely.” Ezra said at last and Crowley smiled. “Let me go talk to Gabriel and get my things first, then I’ll meet you in your room?”

“Of course, take your time.” Crowley agreed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

“Coming to bed, angel?” Crowley asked as Ezra stepped out from behind the changing screen, dressed in the clothes he usually wore to bed. 

“Yes, darling.” Ezra said with a smile, walking over to the bed as Crowley pulled down the blanket. “Have you picked a story for us to read tonight?” 

“I have. Something incredibly dark, but grotesquely romantic.” Crowley told him, opening the book to the page he’d marked with a bit of extra parchment while Ezra got settled beside him. He pulled the blankets over their laps and tilted his head until it came to rest against Crowley’s shoulder, watching him fiddle with the book. 

“Ah, so the average fairy tale then.” Ezra teased, taking the offered book into his lap once it was opened. “You know, in my world, these stories are incredibly different from yours. Not so dark and sinister so that they could be shown to children in movies.” 

“What is a...movie?” Crowley asked, testing the word on his tongue, eyebrows knitting together. 

“It’s...something like a play with a plot and actors, but it’s not done in real-time.” Ezra explained carefully. “It’s something that is captured and shown in many places at one time to millions of people all over the world.” 

“How is it captured? What is it captured on?” Crowley asked in wonder. “Is it some sort of magic that traps the actors in this art format?” 

“No, darling.” Ezra said with a laugh. “It’s called film and it helps you...capture moments in time to keep them forever so you can revisit them later on, but no one is trapped there, just their image.” 

“I have no idea what you’re trying to tell me, but I like it. Your world is incredible.” Crowley said, leaning his head to the side to rest against Ezra’s. “You always come here, I would  _ love _ to go there someday.” 

Ezra tried to imagine Crowley in his world, tried to imagine him seeing technology for the first time, tried to imagine him cozying up in his bookshop and living that day-to-day domestic life that Ezra had been living on his own for so long. He couldn’t imagine Crowley would be very happy not being in his own world after a while. “Maybe one day the magic will simply whisk you away with me.” He said with a small smile. “I only hope it won't keep us there. You’re most definitely needed here.”

“I suppose you’re right. Seeing your world would certainly be exciting though, I think.” Crowley told him, then sighed. “Though I’m content being in whatever world has you in it.” 

“You shameless flirt.” Ezra said and Crowley pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Crowley murmured, lips moving against his hair. “Read to me?” 

“Of course, darling.” Ezra said softly, lifting his head from his shoulder and looking down at the pages of the book in his lap. The neat script along the top of the page read  _ The Two Stars _ , which was not a title that Ezra had ever heard of before in all of his years of bookselling. Children’s stories in Eden must have been very different than the ones Ezra had in his own world. “I don’t think I know this one.” 

“It was always one of my favorites. My mother used to read it to me all of the time when I was young.” Crowley told him. “A story about how the stars in the heavens found love with one another and go against all odds to stay together.”

“Sounds oddly familiar.” Ezra mused with a grin. “Can’t imagine why.”

“I think you’ll like it.” Crowley said confidently, tapping the page with his finger encouragingly. “Here, I’ll start. Once upon a time…”

“Once upon a time, before there was life on the earth, the sky was filled with darkness. No one quite knows how it happened, for there was no one  _ to _ know at the time, but where once there was only darkness, now shone two bright lights.” Ezra read aloud. “Over time, they would earn the name ‘stars’ from those who would eventually come to live on the earth, but to one another, they were known by other names that are now lost to time.” 

“The two stars went about their existence, circling one another, bathing the other in their love, their affection, and their light. More stars appeared as time went on, blinking into existence beside them, but none held their attention like their one and only love.” Ezra continued, his tone softer. It was a love story, that much was clear, but it wouldn’t be a fairy tale if something terrible didn’t happen to drive the protagonist on. “And for a very long time, they were happy.” 

Crowley shifted beside him, his eyes fixed on the book’s illustration of stars falling out of the sky, streaks of light against the darkness that would steadily grow dimmer as they fell towards the earth. 

“Until the day the stars began to fall. One by one, stars plummeted from the sky, falling to the earth never to be seen or heard from again. The two stars wept for their lost brethren, finding comfort in one another, and hoping that they would never be separated in such a way.” Ezra said, his heart plummeting. “It happened so suddenly. The star could feel the gravity shift around them, just like the others, and turned to their love and spoke: My shining light, I believe it’s my time.” 

And as he spoke the words, Ezra felt his stomach roll with nausea and for a moment, his vision blurred until he blinked rapidly in order to clear it. After all they had been through, they had finally managed to make up for their argument, and  _ now _ the magic that held him here had decided to drag him back to his world? He wouldn’t go, he refused to budge. He wanted to stay  _ here _ .

“‘No, say this isn’t true.’ Their love wept. ‘Do not stray from my side. I will be so lost without you.’” Ezra read, his stomach still rolling, and his head beginning to ache with a dull throb just behind his eyes, but he forced himself to ignore it and continued to read. “But the star had no choice...T-The pull was too strong.”

“Angel?” Crowley must have noticed something was off, his tone was concerned, but Ezra forced himself to keep going. He could do this; this magic could  _ not _ have him.

“‘I will miss you so terribly, my love. One day I will be at your side again, b-but...until that day comes, will you wait for me?’” 

“Angel, you alright?” 

“And their love replied, ‘Yes, my shining light, I will wait…’” The pain behind his eyes had gotten sharper, resonating through his entire head and the book dropped into his lap in favor of raising his hands to press against the sides of his head. 

“Aziraphale, what’s  _ wrong _ ?” Crowley asked from beside him, but his voice sounded so far away that Ezra could barely focus on it over the roaring in his ears and the throbbing in his head. “Does your head hurt?” 

“I...I think the magic that keeps me here is rather inspired by this story…” Ezra admitted, laughing shakily. All of the energy he’d had drained out of him all at once and Ezra’s head lolled to the side, unable to hold it up, coming to rest again on Crowley’s shoulder as it had before.“I want to  _ stay _ , I want to stay with you. Don’t let it take me…”

“I-I don’t know how to stop it…” Crowley admitted helplessly and his voice sounded absolutely wretched as he began to maneuver him closer. He slid an arm around Ezra’s back until his head was tucked against the curve of his neck until he was completely surrounded by Crowley’s warmth. It was probably the most peaceful he’d ever felt when he’d left Eden. Ezra felt the warmth of his lips against his forehead and closed his eyes when he heard Crowley’s breath shake. “You’re fading right before my eyes, angel...”

“Wait for me? Until I find my way home…?” Ezra asked tiredly. 

“I will.” Crowley promised and his hold on him got just a bit tighter as if he could keep him there by hold alone. “I’ll be right here, waiting for you to be back in my arms. Try not to be gone for too long this time.” 

“I-I’ll try...I’ll try…” Ezra promised in return. “Goodbye, my darling…” 

“Goodbye, angel.” 

And Ezra breathed out and felt his back hit the hard floor of the bookshop. 

* * *

Ezra had barely adjusted to being back in his own world before the magic began to pull him back to Eden. It had been a handful of days at the most, really, and he hadn’t even changed out of his Eden clothes before the familiar feeling of transport crept up his spine. Perhaps the magic wanted him to be back in Eden in time for the battle or perhaps it hadn’t made up its mind on  _ where _ it wanted him to be, but whatever its reasoning, it returned Ezra to Eden so swiftly that he barely registered he had gone anywhere at all. 

One moment he had been in his bedroom and the next he was standing outside the inn they had been occupying in Tadfield. Ezra blinked, looking around to take in his surroundings. It was dark outside, not a person in sight, but he could hear the multitude of voices coming from inside the inn and had a feeling that’s where everyone had gathered for the evening. He didn’t hesitate a moment more before he walked inside. 

When he walked in, the dining room immediately fell into silence and dozens of eyes fixed on him standing in the doorway. Most of the men seated around the room were members of the company, Hastur and Ligur amongst them, and they seemed just as surprised to see him as he was them. If they were all still here, then that meant they hadn’t gone off to battle yet and Crowley was still here as well. Without a word, he moved through the crowd and made his way to the stairs, eager to be reunited with his beloved. 

Ezra wondered how long it had been if it had even been that long at all. Had they been waiting for him to return before going off to battle? Or had it been barely over a day since he’d been whisked back off home? He walked quietly down the hall, stopping at the door of the room he had been occupying with Crowley, lifted his hand, and knocked. 

“Yes, what is it?” Crowley’s voice called from the other side of the door and Ezra’s heart ached. He sounded so tired, so miserable; he couldn’t have been gone for so long, could he? Ezra knocked again, insistent, and he heard Crowley sigh with frustration before marching over to the door, opening it from the other side. “I said--A-Angel?” 

“Hello, darling.” Ezra said softly, a hopeful smile on his face. “I’m home. I hope I haven't been gone too terribly long.” 

Crowley stood there for a moment, staring at him in disbelief as if he couldn’t believe he was there. Slowly, though, he began to shake his head and stepped forward until his arms came to wrap snugly around Ezra’s waist, his forehead coming to rest on his shoulder. Ezra’s arms reached up to wind around his neck in return, surrounding him in his embrace. “A-A few days, really.” Crowley admitted shakily. “But a long few days. Oh,  _ angel _ , I am so glad you’re back.” 

A few days, only a few days. Ezra closed his eyes, thanking whatever magic that brought him back to Eden so that he could continue to be at Crowley’s side through the final battle. “I’m here, my love, my shining star.” He murmured, running his fingers through tangled curls. “Everything is alright. I’m so sorry you had to go through--” 

“ _ Don’t _ apologize for things you can’t control, Ezra.” Crowley said, pulling away just far enough to look into his eyes but not so far that they had to stop holding each other. “I’m just glad you’re here, safe and sound.” 

“And I’m glad you didn’t head off to war without me.” Ezra murmured teasingly, his hands moving from his shoulders to instead cradle his face. “You look exhausted. Are you being grumpy because you haven’t been sleeping?” 

“I am  _ not _ being grumpy.” Crowley mumbled, but his eyes closed peacefully with his face held in his hands. “Just a bit out of sorts.” 

“Well, I’m here now, so how about you go lay down and rest?” Ezra suggested. “I’ll lay with you and finish reading you that story. Would you like that, my love?” 

“More than anything.” 

* * *

As much as Ezra would have enjoyed laying in bed with Crowley for the remainder of the night, he’d had a feeling it wouldn’t last for very long. Whenever something nice happened, something seemed to come up immediately in order to interrupt it. They had finished their story and were simply laying together in bed, enjoying the closeness of the other. Crowley’s face was tucked against Ezra’s neck while Ezra gently curled strands of red hair around his fingers. It was quiet and it was peaceful until a loud knock shattered the silence.

“I’ll get it.” Ezra sighed, but Crowley merely groaned, the arm that was thrown across Ezra’s waist tightening just slightly and refusing to budge. Ezra smiled, pressing a warm kiss to the side of his head. “Darling--”

“Leave it. They’ll go away.” Crowley mumbled. “Stay with me.” 

“But--” 

The knock rang out again, louder and more insistent before a voice rang out to join it. 

“Aziraphale? Are you in there?” 

“It’s Gabriel.” Ezra said quietly and Crowley groaned even louder. “I have to talk to him. He must have been just as worried as you.” 

Crowley hesitated for a moment before he rolled onto his back, releasing him from his hold. He rubbed a hand over his face, peeking up at Ezra from behind his fingers. “What are you going to tell him?” He asked curiously. “Don’t suppose he’ll believe you wandered off because you were itching for a stroll?” 

“For three days? No, I don’t think.” Ezra admitted, pushing himself up into a sitting position and staring at the door on the other side of the room. “I think...I think I should tell Gabriel the truth. I should tell him everything about where I come from and where I go when I’m not here.” 

“Are you sure you want to do that?” 

“No, not really. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that I would explain it to him and he would think...he would think I’ve lost my mind or something.” Ezra told him quietly as another series of knocking rang out through the room. He moved his legs over the side of the bed, preparing himself for the upcoming conversation. “But we’re so close to the end, Anthony. I have to tell him.”

Before he could get up, however, Ezra went still as a hand came to lay against his back and he felt Crowley sit up behind him. “You should do what you think is right.” Crowley said softly, pressing his lips against his shoulder. “I’ll be here when you come back, but I want you to know that Gabriel cares about you. He would never think negatively of you, no matter what you’ve said.” 

“I certainly hope not...” Ezra said warily, welcoming his hold for a moment more before standing up and making his way to the door. Just as the third round of knocking began, Ezra opened the door and met the eyes of a very frazzled Gabriel. “Good evening.” 

“Where have you  _ been _ ? And why did I have to hear from  _ Shadwell _ that you had come back from wherever you’d gone?” Gabriel demanded. “Do you realize how that makes me feel?  _ Shadwell _ told me before you did?” 

“I’m terribly sorry. I was a little one-track minded.” Ezra told him with a weak smile before taking a deep breath and deciding to just come right out with it. “Would you...ah...like to take a walk with me? I need to talk to you about something.” 

“It’s dark out.” Gabriel told him carefully as if he weren’t sure that Ezra knew what time of day it was. “Are you sure--”

“Gabriel, please?” 

“I...Alright. Yes, absolutely.” Gabriel said with a nod though he still seemed uneasy about what this discussion may bring, moving out of the way and motioning down the hall. “After you then.” 

They walked together out of the inn and out into the night, walking until they found a wooden bench a ways down the road that was currently unoccupied and out of earshot of any passerby. Ezra had been fidgeting since the moment he’d left the comfort of Crowley’s room, his hands clasped together nervously behind his back until he sat and moved his hands to his lap instead. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, unable to put a voice to his words and Gabriel very gently laid a hand on his arm. 

“Aziraphale, are you alright?” 

“I’m absolutely tickety-boo, Gabriel.” Ezra said, then winced at the false cheer in his tone, knowing it was obvious. “I’m just...unsure how to tell you what I need to tell you.” 

“You can tell me anything.” Gabriel tells him seriously. “Whatever is on your mind, I will hold no judgment against you. Is this about where you’ve been the last three days?”

Ezra nodded slowly. “It’s actually about every time that I’ve ever disappeared. It’s about where I’ve been going and why I’ve been going there.” He told him gently. “I know you may not believe me, it’s a very absurd idea to process, and I know you will think I’ve absolutely lost my  _ mind--” _

“Aziraphale.” Gabriel interjected, squeezing his arm. “Breathe.”

Ezra sucked in a shaky breath, his eyes damp and his hands trembling, but he breathed and slowly let it out with Gabriel’s coaching. 

“Now, tell me.” 

“My name is Ezra Fell.” Ezra said in a rush. “I was born in a city called London that is in a completely different world from this one and I was brought into Eden by magical forces that I have no control over.” 

“Wait, what--”

“And sometimes when I’m here, the magic pulls me back for days or even weeks at a time to my own world.” Ezra continued as if he hadn’t even spoken. “The only person who knows is Crowley because he has seen me come back from the other world and I  _ had _ to tell him the truth because he thought he was losing his mind.” 

“Slow down, Aziraphale--”

“I know everything that is supposed to happen before it happens because in  _ my _ world Eden doesn’t exist and actually exists only in a collection of books in my bookshop. You’re all characters in a fantasy world a-and I’m here with all of you in the book.” Ezra said a bit hysterically. “I’ve been trying my best to help everything go according to plan while also keeping everyone  _ alive _ \--” 

“Aziraphale!” Ezra’s mouth snapped shut and he blinked, his eyes damp. Once he had begun speaking, he hadn’t been able to stop, confessing to Gabriel had been something he’d been dreading. He’d been hoping he would never have to tell him the truth, at least not here and now, but the end was so uncertain and so close. He may never have another chance other than this. “Calm down. Deep breaths. Tell me again, but slowly.”

So Ezra did as he was told and he began his explanation again. He told him everything from the moment he arrived to Eden in the fields to his most recent disappearance. He told Gabriel everything he could tell him of what book events had already transpired and some of what was to come. He told him he’d known about Bee’s betrayal the entire time and how that knowledge had caused the argument between him and Crowley earlier in the week.

Gabriel took it surprisingly well. He would nod, make noises of confirmation or ones of deep thought, but he said little to nothing until Ezra finally ran out of things to tell him and that was when he decided to speak. 

“So, when we met and you asked me about my brother…” 

“In the books that I have in my world, you have a brother, so I assumed he would still be here.” Ezra told him. “He’s younger than you by a handful of years, he’s terribly smart, and he wanted to do everything that he could in order to protect Crowley so he could take the throne again. The whole purpose of his character was to drive you forward, encourage you to take a new path.” 

“But he doesn’t exist in this version of the book.” Gabriel concluded and Ezra nodded, smiling tightly. They sat for some time in a nearly suffocating silence as Gabriel absorbed everything he’d been told. Ezra didn’t know if he would believe him or not in the end and where they would go from here, but he hoped this wouldn’t ruin the relationship they had built. “So, you essentially became my brother to help me find my way to the path I needed to be on.” 

“Yes, I suppose.” Ezra replied. “Honestly, it wasn’t really my intention to  _ become _ him. I was more or less just trying to get you to take the role you were meant to take.” 

“Huh.” Gabriel mulled that over for a moment before he gave a slow nod of his head. “I believe I like that though.” 

“...Pardon me?” 

“You being my brother. Since the moment we met I’ve always felt some kind of kinship with you, really.” Gabriel admitted. “I’d been on my own for so long and then you just  _ appeared _ in a field in the middle of the night, completely lost but offering nothing but kindness. You stayed with me for three days and managed to convince me that I could do more with my life than what I was doing.” 

“G-Gabriel…” 

“I’ve found a new family here and I have you to thank for that. Family isn’t always through a bond of blood.” Gabriel continued, nudging him with his shoulder. “And I would be honored to call you my brother.”

Ezra sat there, staring at him for a long time completely dumbfounded. Had...he really been Gabriel’s brother the entire time? The magic that had brought him here had completely erased the character from the narrative and replaced him with Ezra, so what would happen if he went back to his own world? Would Gabriel no longer have a brother or would the magic set the world back to rights? 

“Aziraphale?” Gabriel inquired. “Did I say something to upset you?” 

“Oh, no, of course not.” Ezra said quickly. “I’m terribly sorry. My mind was just going a mile a minute. I would be honored to call  _ you _ my brother as well. I can’t imagine anyone luckier than me.”

Gabriel smiled and Ezra smiled back, feeling the heavy weight that had been on his shoulders about this conversation lift. Gabriel was not upset, nor was he angry or dismissive; he had declared Ezra his brother so easily and it warmed his heart. 

“Ezra?”

“Yes?”

“Your name is Ezra Fell.” Gabriel made a face, then shook his head.“I’m sorry, that is very strange. I don’t know if I could ever call you anything other than Aziraphale, but I will do my best.” 

“I don’t mind it, really.” Ezra said with a wave of his hand. “I’ve come to enjoy being called Aziraphale more than I do Ezra, I don’t really miss it all that much. I believe Crowley only calls me Ezra when he's upset with me...or at least very worried.”

“Well, you  _ do  _ get into trouble a lot.”

“Honestly, Crowley says the same thing. Do either of you think it’s easy keeping every single one of you alive all of the time?” Ezra asked, exasperated. “It’s like all of you have a huge target on your backs that says ‘put knife here’.” 

Gabriel threw his head back and laughed. “Well, apparently, we are all the main characters in a very exciting story, so I would expect us to be targeted more than others.” He teased and Ezra rolled his eyes. The laughter died off until they were both sitting in a much more comfortable silence than they had been before and that’s when Gabriel cleared his throat. “So, what happens to you...at the end of the book?” 

“I...don’t know.” Ezra admitted hesitantly. “Though I have some ideas of what may happen to me, I don’t think that it’s a decision that I get to make.” 

“Hm.” Gabriel murmured. “Well, I would be very sad to see you go, so I hope that you get to stay here with us.”

“Yes.” Ezra agreed quietly, his stomach in knots. “I would very much like to stay here too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worries are voiced. 
> 
> Warnings are given. 
> 
> The war has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to pay attention to those tags, my friends. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Blood, Violence, Major Injuries, Not Actually Character Death (but seems like it.)

The day had finally come; they were leaving Tadfield. 

It was supposed to be a good thing, they were finally ready to move on and go meet Lucifer’s army head-on. They were so close to the end of their journey which meant Crowley was just as close to reclaiming his place on the throne, but it also put Ezra closer to the unknown. What would happen to him when this was all over? Would he go home, and if he did, would he ever see Crowley again? 

“We’re heading out soon.” Crowley announced when he walked into their room. He’d been all over the place that morning, making sure that everyone was packing their things and getting ready to move out. This had left Ezra in their room to pack up their own things, though with his thoughts threatening to overwhelm him, Ezra hadn’t gotten much packing done at all. Crowley had seemed to notice that something was off the moment he walked into the room and all thoughts of leaving were quickly abandoned. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing is wrong, darling.” Ezra said quickly, shoving the clothes that were in his arms into his bag. He didn’t want Crowley to worry about him, it was bad enough that he would be worried about him throughout the entirety of the battle. Ezra didn’t want him to get all worked up about what might come after this. “Just packing.” 

“You’ve been packing the same clothes since this morning?” Crowley asked skeptically. Ezra heard Crowley’s boots on the floor as he moved across the room to stand behind him but didn’t turn around, afraid to show Crowley his face because he wasn’t sure what Crowley would see when he looked at him. “Angel, talk to me.” 

“I-I suppose I’m just a little nervous. This  _ is _ our final battle, after all. The end is so close.” Ezra admitted, but still, he didn’t turn around. His hands twisted the tunic in his hands into a wrinkled mess. Crowley leaned in to press a kiss to his shoulder and Ezra closed his eyes tightly. “Perhaps I’m feeling...unsure about what happens afterward.” 

“Do you mean to you?” Ezra heard Crowley sigh when he nodded in reply and startled when he felt the warmth of Crowley’s arms encircle around his waist from behind. It was a loose hold, but it did manage to take some of the tension from his shoulders and he sank back against Crowley’s chest. “You listen to me, alright? I’ll tell you what happens when it’s over. Are you ready?” 

When Ezra nodded again, Crowley continued, his chin resting on Ezra's shoulder. “When we win this battle, which we  _ will _ , I am going to bring you with me to the castle.” He told him gently. “I’ll take back the throne as I should and you will live there, being completely spoiled for the rest of your life, as you should.” 

“We will?” Ezra asked hesitantly. “Do you really think so?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Crowley murmured, holding him just a bit tighter. “You’ll never want for anything again, love. Anything your heart desires, just ask, and it’s yours.” 

“Seems like you’ve been thinking of this often.” Ezra pointed out and Crowley chuckled so fondly that it made Ezra’s heart feel warm in his chest. “Anything my heart desires?” 

“Anything at all. Books? The royal library has hundreds if not  _ thousands _ of books.” Crowley told him. “Three meals a day, of course, but if you need a snack in the middle of the night? The kitchens will always be open to you. The gardens will be in full bloom by the time we get settled if you’d like to see some flowers and there is a tower in the castle that is  _ perfect  _ to see the stars on those warmer nights.” 

“It sounds wonderful.” Ezra admitted, placing his hands over Crowley’s. “What about you?” 

“Well, in between my kingly duties, I would be right there at your side if that was where you wanted me to be.” Crowley said with a slow shrug of his shoulders. “I told you, angel, I’m never letting you go.” 

“What if we fell out of love one day? What then?” 

“I assure you that day will never come.” Crowley said stubbornly. “But, if it somehow  _ does _ , what I said is still true.”

“What if...What if I couldn’t stay?” Ezra asked next, his voice so quiet, his real fears coming to light and he tightened his hold on Crowley’s hands. “What if you win the battle and I get whisked away back to my world?” 

“Then...Then I would go on an epic quest to find a magic user who could bring you home.” Crowley declared with such intensity, such  _ passion, _ that Ezra had to blink back the tears that were threatening to well up in his eyes. He was glad Crowley couldn’t see his face. “I would not rest until you were back in my arms at home where you belonged.” 

_ Home _ . 

This was his home now, wasn’t it? Going back to his bookshop, going back to Soho, that wasn’t his home, and it hadn’t been his home in such a long time. But Eden...Crowley, they were his home now. 

“S-Such a romantic.” Ezra choked out with a laugh and Crowley laughed as well, turning his head to press lips to his cheek. “Honestly, who taught you to be such a romantic?” 

“I am completely self-taught on the subject, angel.” He teased, then Crowley buried his face in the curve of his neck. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Whatever I have to do to keep you here, I will see it done, so don’t worry about this anymore, alright? It’s going to be fine.” 

“Yes, darling, of course.” Ezra replied, feeling more at ease. He would hold the image of the two of them living their lives out in the castle together very close to his heart because that was truly what he wanted more than anything. If Crowley believed so strongly that it would happen, Ezra was willing to believe it too. All he wanted was to stay with Crowley. “I suppose I should finish packing now. If you keep holding me like this, we’ll never leave.” 

“Well, when you put it that way it doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Crowley mused and Ezra laughed, twisting in his arms in an attempt to escape, but Crowley held fast until Ezra had completely turned around to face him. “My apologies, Mister Fell, but are you trying to leave the circle of my embrace?” 

“You’re a menace. I cannot believe I’ve fallen in love with you.” Ezra teased, rolling his eyes with nothing other than fondness and settling for wrapping his arms around his neck instead. They stared at one another for a few moments before Crowley leaned in to gently press their lips together. It was a short kiss, just a brush of lips really, but it was enough and when they pulled apart, both of them were smiling. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Crowley replied, finally releasing him from his arms and turning to their unpacked bags. “Now...Let’s finish our preparations and head out on the road, shall we?”

* * *

Ezra and Crowley took some time to pack their things in their bags, chatting idly as they did so until they were completely ready to go. “From here, we’ve got about a day’s worth of travel, stay overnight in the woods, then...well, then that’s it. By tomorrow we should be heading into battle.” Crowley told him as they descended the inn stairs to join the rest of the company outside. “Do you think we’re ready?” 

“I think we are as ready as we can be, darling.” Ezra replied. “Gabriel has everyone very well prepared.”

“I agree, but I just worry--”

“Excuse me, Mister Aziraphale?” It was a new voice calling out to him, but not so much a new face. Shadwell’s ‘lady love’ as Hastur had called her, Tracy was currently approaching them, her painted lips stretched into a kind smile. “I am so sorry to interrupt you.” 

“No, no, that’s quite alright.” Ezra told her. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“I was wondering if I might have a word with you before you head off?” Tracy asked, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “Won’t take but a moment.” 

Ezra looked to Crowley who studied Tracy for a moment before he slowly shrugged his shoulders. “We still have some time. Go ahead.” He told him and Ezra nodded, turning fully to Tracy. 

“Yes, of course, dear lady.” Ezra told her and she smiled in delight, keeping a hold on his arm as she led him away from the group. Once they were out of earshot, Ezra decided that he was able to talk freely. “Do you need something from me?”

“It is nothing that you can do for me, Mister Aziraphale. It’s what I hope I can do for you.” Tracy told him. Her gloved hands took one of his and sandwiched it between her own. She stared at him, unblinking as if she were staring right through him and could see something that he was unable to. “Mister Shadwell tells me that you have a touch of magic in you.” 

Ezra swallowed with some difficulty. He didn’t want to lie to this woman, especially when she may be able to tell, but he had only just told Gabriel, someone he trusted more than anything. He was not ready to tell someone he barely knew. “It’s certainly a touch of something.” 

“You don’t have to tell me, dear. I already know.” Ezra’s expression must have done  _ something _ because Tracy was chuckling and patting his hand soothingly. “There now, love. No need to panic. I haven’t told anyone.” 

“You...How?” Ezra whispered, glancing around uneasily. Tracy was still staring at him, still looking somewhere  _ beyond _ him, and it was becoming incredibly unsettling. What did she see when she looked at him? “The only people who know are--”

“Mister Crowley and Mister Gabriel. Yes, I know.” Tracy said gently and Ezra startled, nearly ripping his hand out of her hold but she held fast and firm, not letting him break their connection. “There now, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’d thought you’d been made aware of my...ah...gifts before your arrival.” 

“I didn’t think they would end up being right.” Ezra admitted shakily. No one had really interacted with Tracy in the books, not like this. She had been mentioned for maybe a handful of pages at most and was hardly a major character, but she wouldn’t have pulled him aside if what she had to say wasn’t important. “What do you see when you look at me?” 

“A man out of time.” Tracy answered easily. “A man who goes between worlds and who has no control over when he goes to which world. You have a wonderfully kind heart and it holds a lot of love for the people around you, especially Mister Crowley--Oh, don’t be embarrassed, love. It’s a beautiful thing, really.” 

Ezra’s face was hot, but he nodded regardless. “Thank you.” He said quietly. “But I’m sure you didn’t bring me here to tell me how beautiful you think my love for Anthony is.” 

“I did not. I have something much more important to tell you.” She agreed. Tracy took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and squeezed his hands. “You worry so much about others, Mister Aziraphale, but I’m afraid I must warn you.” 

“Warn me?” Ezra asked warily. 

“The devil is not a merciful being, Mister Aziraphale.” She told him carefully, opening her eyes, and this time, she was staring right at him. “You must take care of yourself.” 

Ezra’s heart dropped into his stomach, the ominous words sinking into his bones and sending cold chills down his spine. He didn’t know exactly what Tracy had seen when she looked at him, but it had been unsettling enough that she’d felt that she needed to warn him. “The devil.” He repeated slowly. “You mean Lucifer.” 

“He is a cruel spirit, weighed down by jealousy and anger. He snuffs out light wherever he goes.” Tracy continued. “Do not let him snuff out yours.” 

It was a clear warning of what was to come and it made Ezra’s stomach roll. If he met Lucifer on the battlefield and hesitated for even a moment, Ezra would not be leaving that battle alive. 

“Aziraphale?” Crowley’s voice echoed down the alley and Tracy squeezed Ezra’s hands once more before dropping them completely as he approached. Ezra felt Crowley’s fingertips brush the small of his back hesitantly and he looked back to him, smiling tightly. “We’re heading out. Is everything alright?” 

“Tip-top.” Ezra said quickly, not wanting to even begin to think about this now. He didn’t want to think about it and he certainly didn’t want to worry Crowley with it until he’d had some time to sit with it. “Tracy, it was a delight to meet you here. I hope we meet again someday soon.”

“I hope so too, Mister Aziraphale.” Tracy replied. “I certainly hope so.”

* * *

It had been hours since they’d left Tadfield, the sun was now hanging high in the sky indicating at least half a day had already passed. On the horizon was the outline of the kingdom of Eden and by nightfall, they would be on the outskirts and preparing for battle. The company was absolutely buzzing with excitement, but Ezra wasn’t feeling very excited at all. 

Actually, he hadn’t spoken much since they’d left Tadfield, the weight of Tracy’s warning still heavy on his mind, and despite Crowley’s best attempts to get reactions from him, he wouldn’t respond outside of the occasional hum and one-word sentences. He didn’t know how or when to tell Crowley about Tracy’s warning and if he should even tell him at all. 

Ezra didn’t want him to worry, but he also didn’t want to keep anything from him. 

“Remember that time you didn’t tell me about Beelzebub being a traitor and I was really upset with you for keeping things from me, even though you thought you could do it on your own?” Crowley inquired suddenly, so casually that it startled Ezra out of his thoughts. Crowley was not looking at him, but his lips were pulled downwards into a frown. “And when we finally talked about it, I told you that you didn’t have to go through things alone because I’m here for you to shoulder the burden?”

“Yes, of course. It was only a little over a week ago.” Ezra replied carefully. “Why do you ask?” 

“You’ve barely said a word since your conversation with Madame Tracy and we’ve been traveling for hours.” Crowley pointed out. “Your eyebrows are doing that thing that they do when you’re thinking too hard.” 

“My eyebrows don’t do a thing.” Ezra said slowly, cursing his inability to keep his thoughts and feelings internalized. Crowley could read him like a book. “This is just my face.” 

“Aziraphale _.” _ Crowley sighed and stopped walking which only caused Ezra to fumble to a stop as well. Some of the soldiers who had been behind him began to slow as well, clearly confused about what they were supposed to do until Crowley waved them on. It wasn’t until the company was a short ways ahead of them before Crowley spoke again. “What’s going on?” 

Ezra couldn’t look at Crowley’s face, settling instead for looking down at his hands which were clasped together so tightly that his knuckles were white from the strain. “I really don’t want you to worry about this.” He told him quietly. “It really may be nothing--” 

“ _ Ezra _ .” Crowley’s tone was firm, leaving no room for argument, and Ezra winced at the sound of his real name, knowing that Crowley was tired of his avoidance. He heard Crowley take a deep breath, take several steps closer, and then his hands entered Ezra’s view. Crowley gently worked his hands apart until he could slide his own hands into his hold instead. “Please don’t do this. Just...Just  _ tell _ me. Let me help you.”

Ezra’s lip trembled as he stared down at their hands, watching as Crowley dragged his thumb across his knuckles reassuringly. Despite how exasperated he probably was with him, Crowley’s touch was still so gentle. “I do believe that Madame Tracy has a touch of magic to her.” He said at last. “When she pulled me aside, she told me she knew that I wasn’t from this world and that she felt like she needed to warn me.” 

“Warn you.” Crowley repeated. “What did she need to warn you about?” 

“That I needed to be careful.” Ezra said quietly. “The devil is a darkness that snuffs out lights.” 

“The devil. You mean Lucifer.” 

“Yes.” Ezra confirmed, squeezing Crowley’s hands. “She...wanted me to be careful because I assume that if I meet Lucifer on the battlefield, he is going to...well, snuff out my light.” 

Crowley inhaled sharply and Ezra risked a glance at his face, noting how his lips were pulled down into a pained grimace and his eyes were closed as if processing what he was being told. “You said he would be waiting for me on the other side of his army.” 

“Because he is  _ supposed  _ to be.” Ezra said quickly. “I-It was certainly not a lie and it would not be the first time the story changed since I’ve been in Eden.” 

“That’s true.” Crowley admitted, opening his eyes at last and seeming significantly calmer. “Did she tell you anything else?” 

“No. It was perfectly ominous.” 

“Then we’ll just have to be cautious.” Crowley concluded. “Keep your head down, stay out of the thick of it, and if you see Lucifer, you turn around and get out of there.” 

“But what if you--”

“I will  _ not _ let that man take something else I love from me.” Ezra began to shake his head and Crowley lifted his hands to his lips, kissing his knuckles firmly. “I could completely forbid you from joining the battle, but you’re so bloody stubborn, you’d be out there anyway.” 

“I’ll be careful.” 

“I know.” Crowley soothed and his smile was gentle, his lips soft against his skin. “I know you will, but don’t play the fates, angel. Promise me.” 

Ezra swallowed. “I won’t.” He said softly. “I promise.”

“Good.” Crowley murmured, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his forehead. When Crowley pulled away, he looked back over to the company which had continued on without them. “We should catch up with everyone else. They’re a good distance ahead of us now.” 

“Yes, you’re right.” Ezra said softly, but when Crowley began to pull his hands away, he held fast. “Wait. I need to tell you something else.” 

“Is it more mysterious omens from mysterious women in Tadfield?” 

“No, nothing like that.” Ezra reassured him. “When we get to camp, I think you should speak to Beelzebub and ask them to join us for this battle.”

“But they’re not here.” Crowley said carefully. “How am I--” 

“They’re here. They’ve been sticking to the trees since you ‘banished’ them from the company, but they’ve been with us the entire time.” Ezra told him and Crowley rolled his eyes, his smile rather fond. “And no, I didn’t tell you because I knew you would be upset.” 

“And you’re sure they’re on our side? No more surprises?”

“I am absolutely certain. No more surprises.” 

“Alright. If you say they can be trusted, then I trust you.”

* * *

When the sun began to set in the sky, they arrived at their final camping location. While the company began to make camp for the night, Crowley had gone off into the shelter of the trees presumably to talk to Beelzebub. Ezra, meanwhile, had gone to stand with Gabriel at the freshly set up war table to offer some last-minute consultation.

“I have a surprise for you.” Ezra said after a few moments of tactfully moving pieces around. 

“Oh?” Gabriel asked curiously. “And that would be?” 

“Crowley is going to allow Beelzebub to return to the company for the battle.” 

“He  _ what--” _

“Now, now, don’t get all upset.” Ezra soothed. “It’s what is supposed to happen. They are  _ not _ a traitor anymore, Gabriel.” 

“Yes, but--” 

“I know you’re worried, but I also know that it makes you incredibly happy.” Ezra told him quickly. “You can put your trust in them again. They are here to fight for Crowley and that is the truth.” 

Gabriel opened his mouth to reply but was cut off at the sound of a throat being cleared from behind them and spun around to face the source of the voice.

There they were, looking a little rougher than the last time they’d seen one another, but they were there all the same. Bee stood there, chin held high, shoulders set, and looking anywhere other than Gabriel’s face.

“Gabriel.” Bee said politely. 

“Beelzebub.” Gabriel said, his tone equally polite. “Aziraphale says that you’re back with us now.” 

“Yes. I understand I have him to thank for that.” Bee replied.

Ezra flushed, waving his hands in dismissal. “Oh, I don’t think that’s true. It was Crowley’s decision to bring you back.” He said, even though it really had been his suggestion that had brought Crowley to that decision in the first place. “We’re thrilled to have you back with us, aren’t we, Gabriel?” 

Gabriel took a deep breath in through his nose and Ezra had to resist the desire to nudge him into action. He  _ knew _ Gabriel had been hurt by Bee’s betrayal, probably more than any of them, but he would be much too proud to admit that. “Yes.” He said at last. “It is good to see you again. Welcome back.” 

He sounded so sincere that even Bee’s eyes flickered to him, widening in surprise. Ezra suspected that they hadn’t expected Gabriel to offer any positivity regarding their return. Perhaps Ezra hadn’t expected it either, not right away, but he had known that Gabriel missed them all the same. “Thank you.” Bee said, then cleared their throat, approaching the war table. “Crowley said you needed a spy’s help in regards to formations and I can see he was right. What in the world have you been arranging here?” 

Bee’s smile was small, but it was teasing and Gabriel sputtered, approaching the table as well. “I’ll have you know that this is a perfectly formulated battle tactic.” He insisted. 

“Looks like a mess to me.” Bee told him, picking up one of the battle pieces and poking Gabriel in the chest with it. “I leave for a week and you fall apart.” 

“I most certainly did  _ not _ .” 

They fell into their bickering so easily it was like Bee had never left in the first place and seeing them with their sense of normalcy again lifted a weight from Ezra’s heart. Gabriel may have been acting annoyed, but there was a light back on behind his eyes that Ezra hadn’t seen since Bee’s original departure. “I’ll leave you both to it then, shall I?” He suggested with a smile of his own. “Try not to stay up too late. Big day tomorrow.” 

“I’ll make sure he goes to bed on time. Needs that beauty rest for the battle” Bee said with a smirk and Gabriel rolled his eyes. 

“Oh, how I have missed having you around.” Gabriel told them sarcastically, shaking his head when Bee cackled in delight. He looked to Ezra and offered him a smile. “Rest well, Aziraphale.”

Ezra left the two of them to their war tabling to wander and find where Crowley had gone off to. He passed by Hastur and Ligur who were seated by the campfire instructing the younger recruits how to ensure their blades were the sharpest they could be for the battle. Shadwell was seated nearby sharpening his own blade and rolling his eyes at the questions the recruits asked.

“But how do you know you’ve done it  _ right _ ?” One of the recruits asked, studying their blade curiously. 

“If you want to test it properly, you’ll have to stab someone with it.” Hastur said seriously, barking out a laugh when Ligur shoved him roughly. “ _ What? _ They asked!”

“Don’t listen to him. Test it on your fingernail.” Ligur instructed, demonstrating the act for the group and Ezra fought a smile when he heard the soldiers  _ ooh-ing  _ and  _ ahh-ing. “ _ Oi, be  _ careful _ . Don’t cut your finger off.”

“Back in  _ my _ day if you weren’t cutting off a finger to test sharpness, you were seen as  _ weak.” _ Shadwell scoffed and Hastur rolled his eyes. “Ridiculous.”

“But, Mister Shadwell, you  _ have  _ all of your fingers.” One of the recruits said carefully which caused Shadwell to sputter in outrage and the group broke out into laughter. Ezra was glad that everyone seemed in such high spirits, there was no gloom or doubt hanging over the camp that night despite the following day’s events. In a way, Ezra didn’t feel any doubt about the battle either. He knew that Crowley would come out the victor in the end and lead the company to victory. 

What he  _ was _ beginning to doubt was his own outcome at the end of it all. 

Ezra found himself walking into Crowley’s tent, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when he saw Crowley in front of him. He was already dressed down for bed, but he was still hard at work preparing his armor and sword for battle, but he looked up when Ezra walked in and his smile lit up the entire tent. “There you are. Was just about to come look for you.” He looked so at peace and Ezra felt his heart ache with love at the sight of him. 

“Oh, were you?” Ezra asked with a smile of his own, crossing the distance between them and taking a seat on the cot beside Crowley. “I spoke to Bee and Gabriel for a moment and then left them to their bickering.”

“Back to normal then, I’m guessing?” Crowley asked as Ezra sat down beside him on the cot. 

“Yes, I think so. Gabriel is very happy they’re here.” Ezra told him. “Thank you for allowing them to come back.” 

“If they help us sway the battle in our favor even a little and you can guarantee they’re on our side, I’m happy to welcome them back.” Crowley replied, sheathing the sword and setting it aside before looking to Ezra fully, his eyes searching. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Ezra replied and Crowley raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Alright, not really. I’m a little anxious. I’ve never fought in a war before and with all of this...ominous warning from Tracy, it does very little to ease my nerves.” 

“Then why don’t we think about something else, hm?” Crowley asked and at Ezra’s frown, he chuckled. “Don’t give me that look. We’ve already talked about tomorrow and what our plan is. Talking about something else would take your mind off of it.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Ezra said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Alright then. What should we talk about? Oh, we could talk about how Hastur is trying to trick recruits into stabbing one another?” 

Crowley rolled his eyes. “Hastur.” He groaned, shaking his head. “He didn’t succeed, did he?” 

“No. Thankfully, Ligur was there to stop them from doing anything outrageous.” Ezra informed him, shifting on the cot so that he could lay back, rubbing a tired hand over his face. Crowley waited until he was situated before he laid down beside him, stroking a few stray curls off of his forehead. “What will you do? When you’re the king again? What’s your first kingly act?” 

“My first kingly act would be tossing out whatever horrendous decorating my uncle has done to the castle since I left.” Crowley snorted and Ezra laughed. “But...I think I would check on how the people are doing, at least in the closer towns first. See what I can do to help them recover from this reign of terror.” 

“I think that’s a good idea. I’m sure they’re going to be so happy to have you back.” Ezra said, lifting a hand so he could stroke the backs of his fingers against his cheek. “I know you’re going to be a wonderful king, my darling.” 

“I don’t know where I would be if you hadn’t come along.” Crowley murmured, turning his head so his lips could brush against his fingers. “Sometimes I feel like I would have failed at the start of it all if not for you.”

“That’s not true. You succeeded in the books without my help and you could have done it now, even without me.” Ezra said confidently with a soft smile. “You are the strongest man I’ve ever met, Anthony Crowley, and that will never change.” 

Crowley stared at him for a long time, his fingertips still gently brushing through his curls. His eyes seemed to linger on different parts of his face as if memorizing every single detail. “No matter what happens tomorrow, I will always love you.” He said quietly and Ezra blinked in surprise. “Don’t you ever forget that.” 

“I love you too.” Ezra replied, closing his eyes as Crowley bent to press a kiss to his forehead, then his cheeks, then his nose which caused him to giggle despite himself. “It’s getting late.” 

“We need our rest.” Crowley agreed, laying his head down onto the pillow and Ezra rolled onto his side, so the two of them could still see one another. There was something flickering behind Crowley’s eyes that Ezra simply couldn’t put a name to. Perhaps it was anxiety, perhaps it was doubt or even fear. Despite how strong he tried to appear, Crowley seemed to be as afraid as Ezra was. “Stay?” 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Ezra whispered, lacing their fingers together between them. “I’m staying right here with you, I promise.”

* * *

It had been his own fault, really, in the end.

The battle had been very overwhelming for Ezra: every turn threw him into yet another encounter with Lucifer’s soldiers. He would let his guard down for a moment, just a brief moment, and once he’d caught his breath, he turned and was suddenly face to face with the king himself.

Lucifer looked exactly like the book said he did. His hair was pitch black, the angles of his face were sharp like knives, and his eyes were cold, soulless. There were no similarities between Lucifer and Crowley, but that was the intention of their characterization. The author had made their dynamics dramatically different to put emphasis on the fight between good and evil. 

Lucifer was quite appropriately representing the devil himself.

_ The devil is not a merciful being, Mister Aziraphale…  _ Tracy’s warning echoed in the back of his head and Ezra swallowed down his anxiety. Lucifer wasn’t supposed to be here, in the middle of the battle. In the books, he had been waiting on the other side of the battle for Crowley to come to him for the final showdown, but for some reason, he had not waited for Crowley, he had come  _ looking _ for him and instead, he had found Ezra in his path.

He’d promised Crowley he would run, but the terror had gripped him and had him frozen in his place. By the time he felt that he could move again, Lucifer had already raised his sword in challenge.

“W-Well, let’s do this, shall we?” Ezra stammered, taking a step back, raising his own sword as well. There would be absolutely no way that he could take Lucifer on by himself with as little that he knew about sword fighting, but he could at least hold him off long enough to give Crowley a bit of an advantage in the long run.

Their swords met, again and again, Ezra putting everything he could into this fight, holding Lucifer off until Crowley managed to find them, but he was tiring so quickly. Lucifer was stronger, faster, more skilled, and one batch of poor judgment resulted in a poorly timed block. The next few moments moved in slow motion, Ezra could see it happening but was unable to stop the sword from piercing his abdomen. 

“Oh…” It was all he could manage to say around the sharp pain and when Lucifer yanked the sword out of his stomach, Ezra’s legs were unable to support him. He sank to his knees slowly, his hands pressed to his stomach, and with one last distressed sound, he fell back onto the ground. Ezra stared up at the sky, unblinking. Everything hurt, his body was so cold, but the blood on his hands was so warm. 

Was this...the end for him?

Ezra continued to stare upwards, listening as the sound of fighting broke out again even louder than before. His eyes closed slowly as his strength drained out of him and it wasn’t until he felt his head being moved that he began to register the sounds of shouting around him again. A dark shadow was hovering over him and he simply couldn’t make their face come into focus, but their hands were familiar and warm on his face.

“--healer! Find the healer!”

“They’re coming, Crowley...on their way.” 

“Angel? Angel!” Ezra’s vision slowly came into focus and found himself staring up into Crowley’s face. His hair was in a state of disarray, strands of it falling into his face, nearly obscuring his golden eyes which were glossy with tears. “I got him, angel, I got him. We won.” 

“W-We won…” Ezra closed his eyes, so happy to hear those words, but was startled back into awareness when Crowley shook his shoulder causing him to aggravate his injury. “Ouch…”

“Don’t close your eyes, love. Look at me.” Crowley said urgently until Ezra managed to meet his eyes. “There you are, that’s it. Just keep looking at me, alright? Don’t give up yet.” 

Ezra blinked slowly, staring up at Crowley’s face, whimpering when a sudden pressure was laid against his wound. He figured it was the healer at work, trying her best to stop the bleeding. “A-Anthony…” He choked out, his eyes starting to burn. He’d had a feeling he wasn’t meant to see the end of the book and this was only proof of that theory. He was surprised it had taken this long, really. “I-It hurts…” 

“I know, I know...but everything is going to be alright.” Crowley soothed, smoothing some of his damp curls from his face. “We’ve got the healer here and they’ll fix you up and we’ll finish this journey together, just like we said we would.” 

“Oh, my love…” Ezra whispered in defeat. “I don’t...I don’t think I’ll be able to.” 

“ _ Don’t _ say that.” Crowley said firmly, shaking his head. It was the denial talking, of course, they both knew Ezra wouldn’t make it out of this. “Don’t. I told you, angel, I’m not letting you go, not ever.” 

The healer pressed again on his wound and Ezra cried out in agony, trying to arch away but Crowley held him steady. Ezra’s face was damp, but he didn’t remember when he began crying or realize he had been until gently thumbs wiped the tears away. “I-I want to stay…It’s not fair…” He sobbed because it simply  _ wasn’t  _ fair. All of this time fighting to come back from his own world and here he was, bleeding out on a battlefield because fate just couldn’t let them be together. “I-I want to  _ stay… _ ”

“You’re not going anywhere, alright? You’re staying right here with me.” Crowley told him, but Ezra could only shake his head. They both knew better; this wound was nothing that a healer could fix. “We’ll get you fixed up and we’ll go home just like we said. Remember? The garden, the stars?” 

“Home…” He wanted so desperately to go home, but he knew that wasn’t an option for him anymore. He would never see the kingdom of Eden, he would never see Crowley take the throne. The pain was dulling, even as the healer continued to press on the wound, and it made it a little easier to focus now that it wasn’t distracting him so much. “I-I wish...I-I wish I could see it…”

“Ezra, stop it--” 

“ _ Anthony. _ ” He begged because his vision was starting to darken at the corners and he knew he was running out of time to say everything he wanted to say. “Please, take the throne a-and...and be the king I know you are. Promise me...”

“Stop talking like that! You’re going to be fine!  _ Tell  _ him he’s going to be fine!” Crowley shouted, looking to the healer desperately, but his expression dropped at whatever the healer indicated and his lip trembled as he looked back down to Ezra. He took a shaky breath, managed a trembling smile, and looked at him like he always did like he was the only person in the world. “...I love you. Like I have never loved anyone before and I will never love another like you ever again.” 

“I-I love you...I love you so much.” Ezra choked out, more tears spilling down his face. He wondered if he would go home or if this were the end for him completely. He wondered what would be more painful, no longer living, or no longer being with Crowley. He wished they’d had more time. “I-I am so  _ lucky _ to have met you, Anthony…” 

“I’m the lucky one, love.” Crowley said quietly. “I’m the luckiest, really.” 

“Where is he? Where is my brother?” Gabriel’s voice rose over the gathering crowd and Ezra turned his gaze from Crowley, at last, to look to his side as Gabriel fell to his knees beside him. Gabriel looked visibly shaken, his own eyes flickering between the wound on Ezra’s abdomen before going back to his face. He swallowed with some difficulty and looked to Crowley, who slowly shook his head. Gabriel put on the same shaky smile that Crowley was wearing and reached to take Ezra’s hand in his own. “Leaving me again, are you?” 

“I-It would seem so…” Ezra replied with a weak smile, squeezing the hand in his own with as much strength as he could muster. “Shame...W-Would rather stay here.” 

“I know.” Gabriel murmured, his voice thick with emotion and fighting back the tears that were building behind his eyes. It was hard to see Crowley cry, but somehow, it was even harder to see Gabriel cry. “I’d rather you stay here too, but looks like fate had another plan for you.”

Ezra laughed breathlessly and winced, looking away from Gabriel to look back up at Crowley. It was suddenly so much harder to breathe and he was afraid of what would be waiting for him when he finally closed his eyes, but Crowley was here holding him so everything was going to be fine. “I’m so tired…” He admitted shakily and Crowley nodded stiffly, sniffling and blinking rapidly. He was putting on a strong front for Ezra’s sake, but Ezra could see through it easily. “W-Will you stay with me?”

“Until the bitter end, angel. I won’t leave you alone.” Crowley promised. 

“G-Gabriel too?” 

“I’m right here.” Gabriel reassured him but Ezra simply could not stop staring at Crowley, memorizing every detail of his face. Gabriel continued to hold his hand and Crowley held his gaze; he was so lucky to have known them and to be  _ loved _ by them. “It’s alright. We’ll be alright.” 

“Darling…?”

“I’ll be alright.” Crowley acknowledged reassuringly, his fingers moved into his hair, massaging his scalp soothingly which made the fight to keep his eyes open even more difficult. Crowley looked up at the sky and took a deep, trembling breath before looking back down, bending low to brush his lips against Ezra’s forehead. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, his words meant only for Ezra’s ears. “O-One day, I will be at your side again but until that day comes, will you wait for me?” 

“ _ Yes _ . Oh, my shining light...I-I will wait…” Ezra whispered because it was the loudest he could manage as he took in gasp after gasp of air, the cold hands of death seemingly squeezing the air from his lungs. “T-Take your time, my love…” 

Ezra fixed his gaze on Crowley until he just couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore, his eyelids so heavy that he settled for closing them instead. He felt a steady  _ drip drip _ on his face when Crowley finally let his tears fall, but he didn’t have the strength to offer any comforting words. He just lay there, soaking up Crowley’s warmth, listened until the sounds of the world around him began to dull.

Ezra Fell drifted off on a battlefield in the arms of the man he loved…

* * *

And woke up alone in a flat in Soho. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time goes on.
> 
> An unexpected visitor returns. 
> 
> Ezra goes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *See End Notes for important news!*

In a bookshop in London, Soho, Ezra Fell was staring at a calendar and crossing out the current day with a black marker. It had become part of his daily routine shortly after his return home, marking out days in the way a prisoner keeps tallies of their captivity on the walls, and the dark lines would stare back at him as if they were mocking him. 

Six months; today marked six months since he had returned home, but to Ezra it had felt like an eternity. After he’d come back to the bookshop following his near-death in Eden, he had clung desperately to the hope that he would be returned to Crowley within a handful of days, perhaps even a few weeks. 

Yet the weeks slowly morphed into a month which soon became two months, then three, and Ezra’s hope had completely diminished by that point. There was no going back for him, he would never see Crowley again, and something in Ezra’s chest had fractured at this realization, leaving him to close shop for two weeks following the acceptance of his fate. 

In those two weeks, Ezra didn’t do much more than lay in bed tucked under the blankets, only leaving to eat and bathe on occasion. He spent most of his time thinking of Crowley, hoping he was doing well and everything that should have happened following the battle had gone on as it should. The rest of the time he spent wishing he was there with him.

It took a lot of self-negotiation to finally drag himself out of bed. He would never return to Eden which meant he had to open a shop in order to make a living to keep a roof over his head, his savings wouldn’t support him for much longer. So one afternoon, he got out of bed, got himself dressed, and went down to the shop to start preparing for a reopening. 

Now it was two months later when the little bell over the door rang, drawing Ezra out from the backroom and away from the calendar to greet his latest customer. While he didn’t hold the same joy that he used to when it came to selling books and interacting with customers, he still managed to put on enough of a front to fake his way through the interactions. 

At the counter, there was a woman in a tan trenchcoat admiring the copy of  _ The Fallen Prince  _ that Ezra kept up front...just in case some magical force decided to come awake and bring him back to Eden. She looked incredibly familiar and when she finally turned her gaze towards him upon his approach to the counter, it clicked. 

“Hello again, Mister Fell.”

“It’s you...You’re the woman who sold me that book.” Ezra said in disbelief, his eyes wide. The woman in the trenchcoat merely nodded, the smile on her lips not as bright now that Ezra could see the sadness in her eyes. “You’re the one who put me  _ into  _ the book, aren’t you? You’re the one who brought me back here?” 

“I am.” She replied calmly. “You were longing for adventure, tired of the mundane life you were leading, and I thought that you may find peace there.” 

“ _ Peace? _ Do I look like I’ve found  _ peace _ to you?” Ezra asked desperately. “I had the adventure of a lifetime, formed bonds and friendships, I fell in  _ love _ and was lucky enough to have known his love in return!” He ran a trembling hand through his hair, his eyes welling up with tears for maybe the thousandth time since he’d been dropped back into his world. “And now I’m  _ here _ in this boring life that I tried to escape and I have  _ nothing _ .”

“I confess, at first, I thought you might just open your doors again and carry on as you usually did, but I have seen your suffering, Ezra Fell, and now I know that I was a fool to think you would let such a love leave your heart.” The woman in the trenchcoat lifted her hand and laid it upon the cover of  _ The Fallen Prince _ where it lay on the countertop, her smile almost fond. “The love you share with Anthony is very strong, unbreakable even. How awful it must feel for both of you to be torn from one another.”

“Then why did you drag me away from him?” Ezra demanded. “Why didn’t you send me back?”

“Upon your death in Eden, it took every bit of my magic to bring you back here alive. It took some time before I would be powerful enough again to send you back and even then, the timing had to be right.” She explained. “Magic can be very fickle.” 

Ezra swallowed the lump in his throat. He wanted to be angry, but this woman had saved his life despite all of her previous interferences. “I suppose I should say thank you for saving my life.” He said carefully. “Despite having no idea who you really are.”

“I am no one.” She told him. “I am a traveler with a very wide collection of books and a touch of magic. I follow the call to those who need help accessing the destiny laid out before them and this book called out for you as if it were only written to find you one day.”

Ezra’s gaze drifted to the book in question, still covered by this woman’s hand. It had been hard to believe that he’d ever had a destiny, that he had been born for so much more than what he’d had his entire life, but to know that this book had come into existence for the sole purpose of bringing him to Crowley caused his vision to blur with tears. “Have you done this with others before me? With this book?”

The woman in the trenchcoat says nothing for a very, very long time. Her eyes are still fixed on the book, but her smile is now sadder as if she could see something he could not. “You are not the first I’ve spirited away to another world, Mister Fell. I have met others with the same touch of destiny in their midst and they have all fulfilled what they needed to fulfill, one way or another.” She pauses, removes her hand from the cover. “Never with this book in particular, however.” 

Ezra moved forward toward the book, running his own hands along with the cover because it was still his most precious belonging, but now for an entirely different reason. He lifted it from the counter and wrapped it up into his arms, cradling it protectively to his chest. “Is he alright? Can you at least tell me that?” Ezra asked desperately, the tears that had been welling in the corners of his eyes finally slipping freely down his face. “Did he take the throne? He did everything he was supposed to do?” 

“He has taken the throne, as is his destiny, but I’m afraid he suffers from a loss in his heart and it causes him great pain. Though he tries his hardest to be the king his lost love knew that he could be.” The woman replied and Ezra’s heart plummeted into his stomach. He bowed his head, pressing his lips to the hardcover of the book in order to fight off a sob. It was too much to bear, knowing his Anthony was hurting, but still trying so hard to be a good king like he’d wanted. “I never anticipated that  _ this _ is what your destiny would be.” 

“W-Which is what exactly?” 

“Loving and being loved by Anthony Crowley.” She replied simply and Ezra choked out another sob. The woman in the trenchcoat studied him, seemingly searching for something and once she’d found it, her expression shifted to something much more sympathetic. “Ezra Fell, I am here to offer you a choice.” 

“A-A choice?” Ezra choked out.

“I am willing to return you to the land of Eden, to Anthony.” 

“You are?” Ezra asked hopefully but faltered after a moment. It seemed absolutely too good to be true. “Truly?”

“I am.” She agreed. “But you will never be able to return here. This life you have, your shop, your books...You would have to leave everything you built here behind.” 

Ezra looked around his shop, studying the shelves of the books he had lovingly collected over the years. It would be hard to say goodbye to the things that had been his only source of companionship, but if he left it all behind, he could be with Crowley. “What would happen to it all?” He asked. 

“That is up to you. I am happy to put your affairs in order for you.” She told him reassuringly, so confidently that he  _ knew  _ she had done this before. “I would also be happy to keep your books for you. I have quite the collection and they would be well cared for.” 

“For the rest of time, I assume.” 

The woman in the trenchcoat gave him a smile, a knowing smile, and he knew that his instincts were right on the nose. Ezra felt like he should be afraid, but this woman, whoever and whatever she really was, had given him such a precious gift. He felt as if he could continue to trust her. 

“May I take a few things with me? Pictures? A few books?” Ezra asked after a moment of thought. He couldn’t abandon  _ everything _ . He had a small collection of precious photographs, mostly ones of his parents, that he wouldn’t want to leave behind. “For sentimental purposes?” 

“I will allow you to pack a bag of your favored possessions to bring with you.” She confirmed and Ezra nodded, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I can return this evening, if you’d like, to give you a day to prepare and say goodbye.” 

Ezra took a deep breath, gave the shop a once over, before nodding. “Yes, I think I would like that very much.” 

* * *

It had been harder than he’d thought it would be, saying goodbye to the shop. 

Ezra had spent the time after the woman left to gather the things he’d wanted to take with him, things he would want Crowley to see the most. He packed up a few photo albums, ones that held photographs of his parents and his childhood, packed some of his more comfortable clothes as well as several books that he simply couldn’t live without, and a small variety of other memories. 

Once he’d finished packing his bag, he wandered around his shop, recalling every happy memory he had ever had there while touching the spine of every single book he passed and offered a silent goodbye. At some point in his life, opening this shop had been his dream, all he had talked about for years, really, but now? Now he was leaving it all behind to be with the man he loved. 

“Take care, old girl.” Ezra murmured, coming to a stop in the middle of the shop and smiling wistfully. It was silly to get emotional over such a thing, it was just a building after all, but it had been  _ his _ and that was what had made it so hard. “Wish me luck out there. I’m sure this nice woman will take very good care of you in my stead.” 

And that’s where the woman in the trenchcoat found him, standing amongst his books, teary-eyed from his goodbye upon her return. She offered him a sympathetic smile as he wiped the tears from his face. “You don’t have to go back to Eden, you know. You still have a choice.” 

“That is a very kind offer, but...I can always procure more books. I cannot find another Anthony.” Ezra sniffed, smiling wide as if that took away from his previously upset expression. “I’ve laid out everything for you concerning my affairs. I’m putting it in your capable hands.”

“I will not disappoint you, Mister Fell.” She reassured him and Ezra nodded, lifting his bag and hoisting it over his shoulder. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Ezra said confidently, watching as she held out her hands towards him and closed his eyes just as they began to glow. “Thank you.” 

“I wish you a long, happy life, Mister Fell.” 

He felt his stomach roll, his head spin, and he shut his eyes in anticipation. 

* * *

Ezra opened his eyes to an unfamiliar environment. Instead of his shop, he found himself standing in an extremely extravagant entrance hall. The walls were tall, beautifully decorated, and the floor under his feet appeared to be marble. He had never been here before, yet he knew exactly where he'd ended up. 

He was home. 

He had always wondered what the inside of Castle Crowley had looked like, ever since he first finished  _ The Trials of the Serpent King _ , but to finally see it in person after so many years of leaving it to his imagination was  _ breathtaking _ . He couldn't wait to see all of it, every detail from top to bottom, but first, he had to find Crowley. 

"Now, if only I knew where to find him…" Ezra murmured, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder and starting off down the hall. The halls were wide and empty, the only company Ezra had was the sound of his footsteps echoing as he walked. The passageway seemed to go on for miles, but there was plenty for him to look at along the way. 

The hallway split at the end and just as Ezra was deciding which direction he should go, he heard voices coming from the right. He didn't hesitate to follow them. Whoever was at the end of this hallway would be able to help him find his way. 

At the end of the hall were two guards clad in black and red, the snake emblem of Crowley's house displayed proudly on the front of their armor. They wore helmets which obscured their faces, but if they were men employed by Crowley, they had to be good people.

“Excuse me? Could one of you lovely guards assist me?” Ezra began, approaching them. “I’m afraid I’ve never been here before and I’m a bit turned around. Can one of you direct me to King Crowley?” 

The guards stared at him for a long time, so long it was almost uncomfortable, and Ezra was beginning to wonder if these men would even hear him out or just take him straight to prison. He wished he could see their faces.

“Mister Aziraphale?” One of the guards finally asked in a very familiar voice filled with confusion. “Is that you?” 

The guard removed his helmet after Ezra squinted to get a better look and smiled in delight when he saw his face. “Ligur! Oh, how wonderful it is to see you!” He exclaimed, turning to the other, a slightly taller guard who had begun to remove his own helmet as well. “Then you must be--” 

With the helmet removed, Ezra could now see Hastur’s entire face and it was staring at him like he had seen a ghost. “Mister Aziraphale,” He began slowly. “How in the bloody hell are you standing here right now?” 

“I know that the last time we saw one another I was dying in battle so this is quite the shock but believe me, it is  _ such _ a long story my friends, and while I would love to tell it to you, I really  _ must _ see Crowley.” Ezra said quickly, looking between them. “Please...Please, won’t you take me to him?” 

The two guards looked at one another as if they were uncertain that this was some kind of trick, but after a moment, they nodded and motioned down the hall. “This way, Mister Aziraphale. He’s probably in his study about now.” Ligur said and with that, the three of them began their walk down the hall. 

"I really can't believe you're here." Hastur informed him, having been unable to take his eyes off of him since they began walking. "The battle ended and Gabriel told us you were dead."

Ezra winced. He supposed his world-traveling secret was still a secret, even after however long it had been. "Where is Gabriel?" He asked curiously. "Is he here?" 

"He and Beelzebub have been out of the kingdom for the last few days helping a few surrounding towns." Ligur informed him. "I believe we were expecting them back tomorrow afternoon." 

"Oh, it will be wonderful to see them." Ezra said wistfully. He had missed everyone so much. "I do hope they're not upset with me…"

"I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you." Ligur said reassuringly, waving at Hastur with irritation when he leaned over to whisper loudly to him. 

"So, are we really bringing Aziraphale's ghost to Crowley?"

"I am  _ not _ a ghost." Ezra huffed. “I am perfectly alive.”

"Sounds like what a ghost would say."

"Enough." Ligur said sharply and Hastur scoffed, shaking his head. "He isn't a ghost and even if he  _ were _ , Crowley would know."

"If you say so, Ligur." Hastur grumbled and they turned down another hall together which appeared to lead to only one room at the end of it. The doors were large, imposing in a way that implied important things going on behind them, and Ezra just knew that this was the door Crowley was behind. 

"I would knock before you go in." Ligur suggested as they approached. "He gets a bit huffy if someone just walks in there." 

"Is that all the warning I need? Is...Is he still Crowley?" Ezra asked, almost afraid of the answer. 

Hastur and Ligur looked at one another for a moment before Ligur shook his head. "Crowley is a good king, Mister Aziraphale." He said at last. "He leads with a sharp mind and a kind heart."

"Hasn't been the same though since you died though." Hastur added. "Been a bit off. Doesn't smile the same."

"But hopefully that will change now that you're here." Ligur insisted and motioned to the large double doors. "We'll leave you to it."

"And I want to hear that story later!" Hastur called over his shoulder as they turned to leave, walking back down the hall to their posts. 

"Been a bit off." Ezra repeated quietly, turning to face the door. "Doesn't smile the same?" 

He'd thought that maybe he'd just disappeared once he 'died' in Eden and Crowley would have realized he was still alive, but if Crowley  _ had _ believed he'd died...perhaps this was worse than he'd imagined. 

Ezra lifted his hand and knocked on the door. 

“Come in.” A voice called from the other side and the sound of it nearly sent Ezra to his knees right there. It was Crowley’s voice, a voice that he hadn’t heard in so long that he had nearly forgotten what it had sounded like. Ezra sucked in a deep breath, turned the handle, and pushed the heavy wooden door open so that he could step inside. “Yes, what is it?”

Anthony Crowley sat behind a large oak desk, head bowed and hard at work with some papers but looked every bit as regal as Ezra had always imagined him to look in a setting like this. His hair was still long and fell along his shoulders, but some of it had been pulled up into a bun at the back of his head. He wore no crown atop his head, but Ezra supposed he didn’t need to; anyone with eyes could see that the man at the desk was a king by posture alone.

Ezra couldn’t breathe, his chest was so tight. It had been six months for him, but judging by the state of things, it had been much longer in Eden. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was suddenly at a loss for what to say. He didn’t know why he was so nervous, for goodness sake, it was his Crowley. Did he make it a big announcement? Did he not say anything at all? Maybe he should have given this a bit more thought before he’d walked in there.

“I apologize if I sound rude, but I have a lot of work to do, so if you could just tell me what you need--” At that moment, Crowley had looked up from his work and any words he’d been meaning to continue with stopped fast in his throat when their eyes finally met. His face had gone pale, his golden eyes were wide, his mouth opened and closed as he struggled to find the words he wanted to say but all that he ended up saying was…”A-Aziraphale?” 

Hearing Crowley say his name for the first time in so long was like music to his ears. In fact, it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, his name on Crowley’s lips, and it took every bit of control that he had to not break down into tears right there. 

“Hello, darling.” He said softly and was impressed with how strong his voice had come out despite how he wanted to do nothing but fall apart. “I’m home.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may have noticed the chapter count went up and no, this is not a mistake! 
> 
> After writing the chapter and doing some consulting with my beta-reader, we agreed that adding a fourth (and final) chapter would be the best course of action for this story instead of stopping at three. So you have one more update to look forward to before this story reaches its end! 
> 
> That being said, due to work schedules and holidays, I'll be taking this week off and will not be posting the fourth chapter on Sunday. I hope to have the last chapter posted no later than 12/4. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Comments make me smile!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stories are told. 
> 
> Reunions are had.
> 
> A series comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are! 
> 
> A few days later than promised, but we just wanted to make it as perfect as possible. 
> 
> I would be absolutely useless without my lovely beta-reader. Not only did she give me the idea, but she proof read the whole thing from start to finish. *blows a kiss to beta-reader*
> 
> Please enjoy the final installment!

If he were going to be honest with himself, Ezra would admit that he was a bit surprised that Crowley hadn’t immediately leapt up from his desk to greet him upon his return. Crowley merely continued to sit in his chair, staring at Ezra as if he were staring straight at a ghost, and it caused Ezra to look down at himself, wondering if he  _ had _ somehow come back wrong and was appearing like an apparition. After a moment of study, he determined that he wasn’t see-through, in a state of unliving or otherwise, and finally concluded it had to be the shock. 

“Anthony, darling?” He tried again hopefully. 

Crowley closed his eyes tightly at the sound of his name and lifted trembling hands to where he pressed his palms firmly against his eyelids. He rubbed them a moment, mumbled something to himself, and slowly lowered his hands so that he could open his eyes again. When he saw Ezra still standing there, his expression flickered into something more vulnerable. “I’ve lost it. I’ve completely lost it, haven’t I?” He said aloud, but his voice shook. “You aren’t really here.”

“You haven’t lost it. I’m truly here.” Ezra said softly, taking a step closer to his desk, but still felt uneasy. Something about this felt wrong. How long had he been gone? How long had Crowley been carrying the belief that Ezra had died on the battlefield? “I’ve been gone for a long time, haven’t I? I am  _ so _ sorry, my love.” 

Crowley rose from his chair carefully, his eyes fixated on Ezra as if he would disappear the moment he looked away. He walked around his desk and crossed the distance that separated them until they were only an arms-length apart. Now that he was closer, Ezra could see Crowley looked so much  _ older _ since the last time he laid eyes on him. It was the lines at the corners of his eyes, the out of place silver strands of hair. “You look just the same as you did the day that I lost you.” Crowley said, his voice rough and eyes bright. He slowly shook his head, the disbelief clear on his face. “How are you here? I watched...I-I thought you…” 

“I’ll tell you everything that happened. It’s… well it’s quite the story.” Ezra admitted, but all he really wanted to do was hold Crowley in his arms and reassure him that everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, Crowley seemed to be shaken by his reappearance and without knowing how long it had been, who knew if Crowley would even want him here anymore? The thought made his stomach roll and he found himself taking a shaky step back. “O-Of course, that doesn’t have to be right  _ now _ . I’m sure you are very busy with your kingly duties. I could always talk with you another time. I-I’m terribly sorry to have bothered you.” 

Maybe that would be best, giving Crowley some time to adjust, and Ezra turned back towards the door, the tears building up behind his eyes. But he had barely taken a step forward before he felt a hand grasp his wrist, long fingers curling around the bone and tugging him to a stop. “If you walk out that door after all this time,” Crowley choked out. “I will never forgive you.” 

The tears that had been building finally slipped free and Ezra felt his shoulders shake as he fought the urge to break down sobbing. “Oh, I’ve missed you.” He whispered, unable to turn back around to look at his face but the fingers kept a gentle hold of his wrist, keeping him anchored. “Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”

“Probably as much as I’ve missed you.” Crowley told him, releasing his wrist at last. “Will you look at me? Please? Let me see your face.” 

Ezra lifted his free hand to wipe at the tears on his face, sniffling before he turned around to face Crowley again. Before his gaze could even focus on his face, Crowley’s hands were cupping his cheeks, tenderly wiping away the tracks of tears that were still visible. “T-They’re happy tears, I promise.” 

“I would hope so.” Crowley murmured, studying his face so closely that Ezra could only focus on the gold of his eyes. His hands were so soft, his gaze so gentle, and he looked at Ezra the way he always had. “Look at you...Aren’t you the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen?”

“That’s my line.” Ezra joked weakly, smiling helplessly. “Look at  _ you _ . You’re the perfect definition of a king, absolutely stunning and regal.” 

“I wanted to make you proud, to be the king you always thought I could be.” Crowley told him, dropping his hands so he could instead wind his arms around his waist, pulling him against his body. Even after all of this time, Ezra found he still fit perfectly in Crowley’s arms. “I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”

“I know, I  _ know.”  _ Ezra whispered, lifting his arms so he could wrap one around his neck while his other hand cupped the back of his head, easing Crowley’s head to rest in the curve of his neck. Crowley’s shoulders shook silently and Ezra felt the dampness of his tears against his skin. “I am so  _ proud _ of you. You’re so strong, carrying on despite all you’ve lost, but I’m here now and I’m never leaving you again.”

“B-But what about--” 

“I’ll explain everything, I promise you.” Ezra murmured against the side of his head. “I can do that now if you like? Though it may take some time.” 

“Not here.” Crowley sniffed, clearing his throat and withdrawing from his embrace. “Not now. Ah...Let me put my papers away and then we can escape for the rest of the day.” 

“The entire day? Don’t you need to finish your work?” 

“The kingdom can go one day without me and if anyone needs anything, they know where to find me.” Crowley said with a trembling smile. “I won’t take no for an answer, angel. I know where I want to be.”

“If you say so, darling.” Ezra told him, completely releasing him so that Crowley could go do what he needed. In the meantime, he took some time to look around the room, taking in the decor and different items strewn about. Crowley had been a very busy man since the last time Ezra had seen him. “Where will we be going for this talk?” 

“My... _ Our _ quarters.” Crowley corrected himself, offering him a small smile. “I can give you a full tour of the castle tomorrow, but tonight we can talk and have dinner, perhaps? You know, just…”

“Make up for lost time?” Ezra asked softly with a small smile of his own and Crowley nodded. “I think that sounds wonderful.”

* * *

The walk to Crowley’s room was spent mostly in silence. When they’d left the study, Ezra had quickly noticed that Crowley kept glancing at him every few seconds, as if he were trying to make sure he was still beside him and hadn’t disappeared. Each time, Ezra would offer a reassuring smile until finally, he reached out and slid his hand into Crowley’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“I’m here.” He told him softly and Crowley smiled shakily, giving his hand a squeeze in return. He was having such a hard time believing it, it was obvious by the look on his face. Crowley was probably convinced that this was some kind of dream but was going along with it anyway. “I mean it. You’re stuck with me this time.” 

“I believe you.” Crowley replied, coming to a stop at the door near the end of the hall. He reached out for the handle, turned it, and pushed the door open so that they could both walk inside. “Here we are.”

The room was extravagant, even going past Ezra’s expectations of what the room of a king could possibly look like. It was a large room, adorned in reds and golds, much like the Crowley family sigil. There was a large four-poster bed with quite possibly the softest blankets and pillows he had ever seen, several bookshelves completely stocked with books of all kinds, as well as a sitting area right in front of a large fireplace. 

“It’s...lovely.” Ezra said because he was without a better word for it. Places like this were not something Ezra had ever managed to see in person unless they were only captured in a photograph and to see it right in front of his eyes now...It was overwhelming. “This is all yours?” 

“It’s all ours.” Crowley corrected him, giving his hand another squeeze before letting go. “If you’d like to change, get comfortable, I can send for someone to bring us some tea? Have you eaten recently? It’s also a bit chilly today, I could start a fire--” 

“I think tea sounds rather lovely, actually.” Ezra interjected with a smile. “I think I’ll be alright in regards to warmth, but I’m afraid I have nothing to change into.”

“There should be a few things in the wardrobe there for you until we can get you some more to wear.” Crowley told him, gesturing to the large wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room. Ezra’s expression must have been surprised because Crowley merely smiled at him sheepishly. “I...suppose you could call it wishful thinking? I’d hoped you had survived, that you’d come home somehow, and set aside a few things in your size just in case.” 

Ezra went to the wardrobe and opened it, finding a surprising amount of clothes obviously intended for him. Crowley had been desperately hoping that he would somehow come back. "This was very thoughtful of you, darling." Ezra told him, picking out a few things so he could change his clothes. "Very well prepared."

“I’ll leave you to change for a few moments to step out into the hall and see about some tea.” Crowley told him, but he didn’t move, merely staring at Ezra with his armful of clothes for a long time. “I...still can’t believe you’re here. I’d  _ hoped _ , but…” 

“I know. It’s alright.” Ezra soothed and Crowley swallowed visibly. “I’ll change, you’ll get us some tea, and I’ll still be here when you get back.” 

“R-Right.” Crowley said, clearing his throat and taking a step back towards the door. “Right. I-I’ll be back in a moment.” 

Ezra changed clothes in the time that Crowley was gone. The clothes that had been made available to him were just his size, give or take an inch or two. It was unsettling to him that in the time he had been gone, presumed dead to everyone in Eden, that Crowley hadn’t seemed to move on from him at all. He kept half of a wardrobe full of clothes that would fit him, almost like a shrine, in hopes that Ezra would one day come back. Ezra loved Crowley, so very much, but he never thought he would hold onto his grief like this. 

“Someone will bring tea along shortly. I’ll put a log on the fire to warm the room.” Crowley announced when he returned, stopping in the doorway to look him over, eyeing the clothes he was wearing before he nodded, satisfied. “Good, they fit. They should keep you warm and comfortable for the next few days.” 

“They’re very comfortable.” Ezra agreed, moving to sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace as Crowley added the log. In a few moments, flames flickered back to life in the hearth and warmth began to spread throughout the room. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Crowley’s back was to him, but his outline was illuminated by the warm glow from the fireplace. Ezra wished he could see his face. “How long has it been?”

“The battle for the crown was two years ago.” Crowley answered quietly and Ezra felt those words like a punch to the stomach. “How long was it for you?”

“Six months.” Ezra replied, just as quiet. He heard Crowley inhale sharply. “Felt like an eternity though.” 

“I didn’t know what to tell everyone.” Crowley admitted. “You were dying in my arms and then suddenly...you were gone. I’d hoped that you’d just gone home, that you were alright, and you’d come back to me but the longer you were gone…” 

“The more you began to doubt.” 

“I didn’t want to give up on you. Even when I tried to let you go, it was so bloody hard.” Crowley told him, his voice rougher than it had been moments prior. “E _ verything  _ reminded me of you, but I had responsibilities. I had to lead a kingdom again. It’s what you asked me to do.” 

“And you did it. You did it all for me.” Ezra said, his own voice wavering. “Darling--” 

“How did you come back?” 

“I met a woman in my world. She sold me the book that ended up bringing me to Eden.” Ezra said softly. “When I...When I was injured here, her magic brought me back to my world and I was completely fine, but...oh, my love, it just took so long for her magic to be strong enough to bring me back.” 

“How long did she give you?”

“Give me?” 

Crowley continued to keep his back to him, staring into the fire. “How long are you going to stay this time?” 

“Forever, darling.” 

Crowley let out a noise that Ezra had never heard him make before, a drawn-out whine, and his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. “Forever? Truly?” He choked out, so hopeful that Ezra was suddenly on his feet, moving across the floor to Crowley’s side. His hands hovered with uncertainty, unsure of what he needed to be comforted until he decided to place a hand on his back. “I don’t think my heart could take losing you again, angel.”

“Forever and ever.” Ezra reassured him, his own eyes burning at the sight of Crowley’s tears. It was so hard to see the man he loved in such a state. “Oh, please don’t cry, my love. There, there. I’m home now and I’ll never leave your side for the rest of our lives.” 

Crowley nodded, wiping at his face with the heel of his hand and nodded shakily. “They’re happy tears, I promise.” He said with a tearful grin, echoing Ezra’s earlier words back to him. Crowley turned to face him fully, lifting a hand and gently brushing the backs of his fingers against Ezra’s cheek. “You can’t imagine how happy I am to see you again.”

“I may have an idea.” Ezra admitted, tilting his head into the touch. “I love you. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped loving you.”

“I love  _ you _ . More than I can possibly say.” Crowley told him desperately, leaning in closer, and Ezra began to lean up as well, more than ready to finally kiss the man he loved after so long, but before their lips could even touch, there was a knock on the door that caused both of them to freeze. 

“That’ll be the tea.” Ezra murmured in amusement and Crowley groaned, withdrawing from his space and making his way for the door. While he waited for his return, Ezra wandered the room, taking in every detail of the room that had been Crowley’s for two years. It was spotless, more so than he’d expected, but there was a small pile of books on a reading table near the bookcase and Ezra found himself drawn to them, interested in what Crowley indulged in. The books hadn’t been touched in a while, covered in a thin layer of dust, but Ezra ignored it in favor of examining it closer.

“Tea is served, angel.” Crowley called.

“What are these?” Ezra asked curiously, plucking one of the books from the shelf. The book was a deep blue, well worn from multiple uses, and the gold script read  _ Ritual Magics. _ “Anthony, what--” 

Before he could open the book to read, however, Crowley was suddenly at his side, gently pulling the book from his hands and slid it into the empty place on the bookshelf. “It’s nothing.” 

“Ritual magic?” Ezra asked. Magic was so rare in Eden and the fact Crowley had a well-worn spellbook in his bedroom was a bit alarming. What had he been getting into in his absence? “Why were you reading a book about ritual magic?”

“I thought I could bring you back at first.” Crowley admitted, still staring at the book where he’d placed it on the shelf and refusing to meet Ezra’s eyes. “I made a promise to you that if I won the battle and you were gone, then I would find a way to bring you home.” 

“Yes, but you thought I’d died. You didn’t know I’d gone home or that I was perfectly fine.” Ezra pointed out, wringing his hands together in front of him. “Darling, it could have been so  _ dangerous _ \--” 

“I  _ know _ . I was just...looking into it, really. I was going out of my mind with grief, angel, I didn’t know what else to do.” Crowley told him desperately. “It’s Tracy’s book. She lent me a few when I’d asked for her help, so I could do some research, but she advised me not to meddle in things I knew nothing about.”

“And you didn’t, right?” 

“I don’t have any magic to use and the magic users I knew were not comfortable in potentially bringing back someone from the dead.” Crowley confirmed and Ezra let out a breath of relief. “So I gave up. I let you go and here you are.” 

“Here I am.” Ezra said quietly, reaching out his hands until he caught hold of Crowley’s, giving a small squeeze. “I tried to come back to you. I want you to know that I thought of you every single day.” 

“And I thought of you.” Crowley said, rubbing his thumb across Ezra’s knuckles thoughtfully. “Every decree I passed I asked myself, what would Aziraphale do? Would this make him proud of me? Would this be the choice  _ he _ would make?” 

“Hastur and Ligur told me you are a wonderful king.” Ezra murmured. “I never had a doubt in my mind that you would be anything else. I wish I could have been here to see it all.” 

“Well, you’re not leaving again, right?” Crowley asked and what struck Ezra the hardest, right through the heart, was that Crowley sounded  _ terrified _ at the idea of Ezra leaving his side again. “You’ll be here to see the rest of it?” 

“Yes, for the rest of our lives, darling.” Ezra said with a reassuring smile and Crowley’s lips curled just slightly at one corner. The smile did nothing to chase away the pain behind Crowley’s eyes. How could he have left him alone for so long? “When was the last time you slept properly, my love?” 

“About two years ago.” Crowley replied with a slightly stronger smile, but it only served to cause Ezra’s smile to drop. He released Crowley’s hands in favor of reaching up to take his face in his hands, cradling his cheeks between his palms, and running his thumbs across the dark circles under Crowley’s eyes. The concern must have been obvious on his face because Crowley’s expression softened and he leaned in to touch their foreheads together. “I’m alright. I’m much better now that you’re here.” 

“You wouldn’t be hurting at all if not for me.” Ezra told him quietly, heart aching. Crowley began to shush him gently, but Ezra carried on, spiraling in his guilt. “You’ve been suffering for  _ years _ and--” 

“And it wasn’t your fault.” Crowley interjected. “It was something completely out of your control, angel.”

“It doesn’t stop my prior statement from being true as well.” 

“Hush now. I won’t have you talking poorly about my angel.” Crowley admonished gently and Ezra sighed shakily, offering him a weak smile. “Let’s enjoy this tea while it’s still hot, hm? Then I will shower you in affection like you so deserve.” 

“There is absolutely nothing else I would rather do, my darling.”

* * *

The two of them had stayed up for most of the night, talking about everything the other had missed in their time apart before eventually moving their conversation from the sitting area to the bed when the embers of the fire began to die down. 

The bed welcomed Ezra like he was meant to lay there. The pillows, the mattress, the sheets; all of it really was as soft as he'd imagined it to be. 

"Comfortable?" Crowley asked from next to him, his tone amused. 

"I don't think my modern bed was ever this comfortable." Ezra admitted with a grin. "Everything is just so soft."

"I once promised you that you would never want for anything here." Crowley reminded him. "That includes comfort."

Ezra made the first move, rolling onto his side and scooting closer until he could rest his head on Crowley's chest. They laid there, talking quietly, Crowley's arm wound around his shoulders, his lips moving against his hair as he spoke. 

"I love you."

"I love you too, darling." 

It was pure bliss and it hardly took any time at all before Ezra was asleep, sleeping more soundly than he had in the last six months since his unwilling departure from Eden. Occasionally, he would groggily come into awareness when the chest under his ear would jump, the heartbeat racing and the arm that had been loose around him suddenly tightened. Ezra would always turn his head upwards and mumble something out of concern, whether it was coherent words or not he wasn't sure, but Crowley's lips would always find his forehead and gentle words would eventually lull him back to sleep. 

What ended up waking him the following morning was the sound of knocking. Ezra lifted his head from Crowley’s chest slowly, blinking the sleep from his eyes, and his gaze searched for the source of the noise until it finally fell on the bedroom door which, unfortunately, would require him to get out of bed to answer it. Crowley somehow managed to continue to sleep and Ezra didn’t have the heart to wake him, so he carefully untangled himself from his hold, pressed a kiss to his forehead when he fussed and climbed out of bed. 

Outside of Crowley’s bed, it was cold and unforgiving. Ezra had always been rather warm by nature, but the jarring chill of air sent a shiver down his spine as he made his way to the door. The sooner he answered the door, however, the sooner the person on the other side would leave, and the sooner Ezra could return to the warmth of Crowley’s arms. 

He pulled the door open, peeking through the crack to see who was on the other side, and then opened it with much more urgency when he saw who was standing there.

“Gabriel?” Ezra asked in wonder, staring up at the man he had come to call brother. Gabriel had already had a handful of years on both Ezra and Crowley, so the touches of grey at his temples shouldn’t have surprised Ezra the way they did, but he still found himself staring. He was surprised to see him, standing at the door, when he was certain Ligur had said he would be returning in the afternoon. “You’re home early.” 

Gabriel stared back at him as if he had grown another head. His eyes were comically wide as they looked him over, taking in every inch to see if there happened to be some kind of flaw or indication that he wasn’t real. “A-Aziraphale?” He croaked in disbelief. “Is it really you?” 

“It is really me.” Ezra told him and Gabriel laughed shakily. 

“I thought you were...W-Well, we  _ all _ thought you were--” 

“I know. Anthony told me.” Ezra said, glancing back at the bed over his shoulder where Crowley slept on. “I’m terribly sorry for what I’ve--” 

And suddenly, there were arms around him. Gabriel’s arms were stronger than they used to be, wound around him in such a fierce embrace that it nearly hurt Ezra to breathe, but he lifted his arms and wrapped them around Gabriel in return. “You disappeared. You were laying there, you were dying, and then you were just...gone.” 

“I know.” Ezra told him quietly, face pressed against his chest. He’d missed Gabriel’s hugs. “I tried to come back when I got back to my own world, but I just couldn’t.” 

“But you’re here now.” Gabriel said, his own face pressed into Ezra’s hair. He continued to hold on and Ezra didn’t ask him to let go. He didn’t want him to let go. “How long do you have, do you think? Is this your last time here?” 

"I have plenty of time to answer all of your questions," Ezra pointed out gently, then looked back at the bed once again thoughtfully. “But, perhaps we should let Crowley sleep and we can catch up? Maybe you and I could find some breakfast? I’m rather peckish.” 

“Wearing that?” Gabriel asked curiously, indicating his sleep clothes and Ezra grinned sheepishly. “How about you change your clothes first and I’ll show you to the dining hall.” 

“Of course. I’ll be back in a moment.” Ezra left Gabriel in the hall and closed the door quietly behind him. He kept his footsteps light as he moved across the room to the wardrobe, not wanting to disturb Crowley as he gathered a different set of clothes to change into. Once he’d changed, he found a scrap of parchment and wrote a short note for the sleeping king, so that when he finally woke up he wouldn’t send himself into a frenzy. Ezra placed the note on the pillow on his side of the bed and merely stood at the side of the bed for a moment, watching his love sleep. “Rest well, my darling.” 

And with that, he left to join Gabriel for breakfast.

* * *

Ezra spent the early morning hours in the dining hall with Gabriel, telling him about his experience with the enchantress and how she'd allowed him to return to Eden for the rest of time. 

Gabriel had been ecstatic to hear that Ezra never had to leave Eden again.

After a while, the doors to the dining hall swung open and Crowley hurried in, his long hair a mess in its disarray and his own nightclothes all rumpled. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed, his eyes wide and panicked, but once his gaze landed on Ezra, the tension slowly seemed to leave his shoulders. 

"Good morning, darling." Ezra said cheerfully as if Crowley hadn't come into the room on the edge of a meltdown. "We were just having a bit of breakfast. Would you like to join us?" 

Crowley visibly swallowed, leaving his place in the doorway and approaching the chair Ezra was seated in. Once he was within arm's reach, he ran a gentle hand through light-colored curls and Ezra watched relief settle on his face before Crowley leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead. "Breakfast sounds wonderful." He murmured and Ezra grinned. 

"Have a seat then." Ezra said gently, motioning to the empty seat beside him. "We have all of the time in the world, love. Take your time."

* * *

The first few days back had mostly been spent at Crowley’s side. However, Crowley was still the king and he had many responsibilities that eventually needed to be dealt with so as a result, there were times that Ezra had been left to his own devices and he found his peace in the library. Crowley hadn’t been exaggerating in the slightest when he’d said there were hundreds if not thousands of books on those shelves so Ezra had plenty to keep him occupied until Crowley returned from his work.

When they were together, Crowley showered him in affection and never let him go a moment without letting him know just how loved he was. Most of their evenings were spent in the library, Crowley’s head in his lap while Ezra read aloud from his latest book of choice. His free hand would move slowly through Crowley’s hair, never missing a beat in his reading while Crowley watched him with full attention and his love in his eyes.

Their evenings together were some of Ezra’s favorite moments, but nothing was able to top the way Ezra felt when he woke up in the mornings next to Crowley. He usually rose before Crowley, happy to watch his beloved sleep in the early hours of the morning, count the freckles on his face, and stroke the hair from his face. 

It was very rare that Crowley woke before him, but sometimes he did surprise him.

Ezra realized several things when he awoke one morning. The first was that he was just the right amount of warm and that the comforting weight on top of him implied he had somehow gained another blanket sometime in the night. The second was that he was no longer wrapped up in Crowley’s arms like he had been when he’d originally fallen asleep. The third was that someone was watching him. 

Slowly, Ezra opened his eyes and was immediately greeted with the early morning sunlight peeking in through the curtains. He hummed softly, bringing a warm hand out from his cocoon of blankets to rub the sleep from his eyes, and turned his head to the other side, to see Crowley already awake and watching him with the softest look on his face Ezra had ever seen. 

“Were you watching me sleep?” Ezra asked, his voice still a little rough from sleep, but it didn’t keep him from smiling and the fondness in Crowley’s eyes only seemed to become more intense.

“For a bit.” Crowley replied, lifting a hand to brush several flattened curls from Ezra’s forehead, fingertips lingering on his cheek as he brought them back down. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.” 

“You didn’t.” Ezra told him, tilting his cheek against his fingers, chasing the touch on his skin. As he’d hoped, it only encouraged Crowley to keep his hand in place, tracing the curves of his cheeks. “Have you been awake long, my darling?” 

“A short while. The sun had just started to rise.” Crowley admitted and before Ezra could open his mouth to protest, Crowley continued on. “I looked over and saw you, sleeping so peacefully, and my mind got to thinking.” 

“Thinking so early? How dreadful.” Ezra teased and the corners of Crowley’s lips twitched upwards. “What were you thinking of, if I may ask?” 

“How lucky I am. How...grateful I am to have you with me again.” Crowley said as if he were choosing each word he spoke with extra care, like he was afraid to say the wrong one. “The sunlight was touching your hair in a certain way and it was illuminated, like a halo of gold. I was completely captivated by the angel sharing my bed.” 

Ezra’s face felt a touch warmer than it had before at Crowley’s gentle words and he found himself glancing away, flustered. “Reciting poetry, are we?” He asked with an embarrassed smile, but it trailed off as Crowley moved in a bit closer to brush his lips against his forehead. “I-Is that all you thought of while I slept? My halo?” 

“Of course not. I thought about a great many things.” Crowley said with another press of lips to his head before withdrawing. “You’ve been back in Eden for four days already. Did you know that?” 

Ezra did know, despite his best efforts. He knew that he would never have to leave Eden again, but old habits died hard, and he found himself still anxiously keeping track of how many days he’d been there like they would be his last. “I did.” He replied, reaching out for Crowley as he moved away. Crowley didn’t hesitate to take his hand, squeezing it gently. Something was...off this morning. Not  _ wrong _ , but off. “Is everything alright?” 

“I was hoping to wait to talk about this until you’d been here  _ longer _ , to give you more time to adjust.” Crowley answered though it wasn’t exactly the answer Ezra had been looking for. “I know you’re never going to go back to your own world, but if something ever happened that resulted in your being taken from my side again, I would want you to know. Time is  _ precious _ , Aziraphale.” 

“I know that it is.” Ezra said slowly, squeezing his hand. He had no idea what Crowley was on about and honestly, it had started to make him nervous. “What do you need to tell me?” 

“I love you, like I’ve never loved anyone before. I don’t think it’s possible for me to love another person as I love you.” Crowley said firmly, his eyes bright with passion and Ezra blinked. “When I lost you...When you died in my arms, you didn’t know everything I wanted to say to you, about how I felt about you.” 

“I know you love me, darling. I’ve known for a very long time.” Ezra soothed, but he was confused about where this conversation was going. 

“I spent two years without you and they were possibly the worst years of my life. Losing you was the worst thing that I could have ever imagined.” Crowley continued. “I had been so confident that we would both still be alive at the end of the battle that I held back, but now? I’m not going to take you for granted anymore.” 

Ezra had been so focused on Crowley’s face that he had barely noticed Crowley’s free hand moving to his side. He had registered the movement, but it had never occurred to him that his hand had been moving for another reason, not until whatever was in Crowley’s hand caught the light from the window and sparkled. Ezra’s attention moved to the source of the sparkling and his eyes widened when he saw the ring held so carefully between Crowley’s fingertips. 

“ _ Anthony…”  _ He breathed, taking the opportunity to push himself up into a sitting position in the bed. It almost felt like a dream; maybe if he sat up, it would feel less like he were still asleep. 

“I thought about it during that argument we had, the week after the ordeal with Bee.” Crowley told him. “We didn’t speak for an entire week and I had a lot of time to think about what was truly most important to me, angel.” 

“Truly important.” Ezra whispered in wonder, his eyes fixated on the ring. His heart was racing, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Was this really happening? Did it really mean what he thought it meant?

“Ezra Fell,  _ Aziraphale _ , I love you. We’ve lost two years together, I don’t want to lose a second more, and even if this isn’t forever, if for some reason you get dragged back to your world, then we will always have a part of one another.” Crowley said confidently. “So, I’m going to ask you something and I want you to know that I will love you even if you say no. I know it’s fast, but--”

“Ask me.” Ezra said suddenly, lifting his eyes from the ring to Crowley’s face once again. Crowley looked a wreck, his poor darling. His hands trembled, his eyes were wide and panicked, but they were also so full of love. “If you don’t ask me right this moment, Anthony Crowley, I will be very cross with you.” 

Crowley exhaled shakily, nodded his head, and finally,  _ finally _ , managed to smile. “Aziraphale, will you do me the honor--” 

“Yes.” 

“I haven’t even  _ asked _ you yet.” Crowley said, letting out a startled laugh. “I have to ask you first!” 

“My apologies. I was very excited.” Ezra said with a laugh of his own and squeezed Crowley’s hand. He took a deep breath, fighting off a smile so that he could look more composed, and nodded. “I’ll behave. Try again.” 

Crowley rolled his eyes fondly and Ezra bit his lip to keep himself from interrupting again. Though the tension of the entire situation had completely disappeared and it made the situation feel not so stressful. “Aziraphale, love of my life, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband and spending the rest of our lives together?” 

Ezra couldn’t pinpoint the moment when he actually began crying, but he knew by the time Crowley finally asked his question, he had tears rolling down his cheeks. He was so unbelievably happy and this was only something he had only  _ dreamed _ of. “Yes.” He whispered. “Yes, darling, yes, I would love nothing more.”

Crowley’s smile was nearly blinding as he lifted Ezra’s free hand to slip the ring onto his finger. The ring fit perfectly around his finger, the metal cool on his skin, and a small blue gemstone glittered at the top. “Before you ask, I measured your finger while you were asleep.” He said and Ezra laughed despite himself, admiring the piece adorning his finger while wiping at the tears on his face. “I didn’t want you to  _ know _ what I was planning.”

“You wily thing. You absolute wonder.” Ezra said, reaching out until he could wind his arms around Crowley’s neck, tugging at him as he laid back in bed and Crowley could be hovering over him. “My  _ fiance.”  _

“My angel.” Crowley murmured, staring down at him in nothing short of complete wonder. He seemed to be in shock judging by the expression on his face, perhaps unable to believe Ezra had said yes and he was now staring down at the man he would marry. “You’re going to be my  _ husband _ .”

"Aziraphale Crowley." Ezra said thoughtfully, then wrinkled his nose. "Bit of a mouthful, honestly. Though I think Ezra Crowley just doesn't have the same regal flair to it."

"You can have whatever name you'd like." Crowley told him gently. 

"I suppose I'll have to wear white. I think you'd look dashing in white too, you know." Ezra pointed out with a grin, lifting his head so he could press a gentle kiss to the corner of Crowley's smile and then giggled helplessly. “My fiance, my soon to be husband. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy.”

“ _ I  _ would not look dashing in white.” Crowley told him. “ _ You _ were made to be in white, angel. It suits you much better.” 

“Well, you can’t wear black to our wedding. Family colors or not, you’ll look like you’re attending a funeral or something terribly morbid.” Ezra said thoughtfully. “Red or gold, perhaps.”

“Gold seems a bit too much and really, red? With my hair?” Crowley asked with a snort and Ezra laughed, falling silent when Crowley leaned down to brush their lips together. They kissed for a moment and it’s slow, intimate as Crowley cradles his face in his hands. “If I didn’t have to make a show of our wedding, I would marry you right here.” 

“In our bed?” Ezra asked with a laugh. “Anthony!”

“I would! I’d bring the priest in here to read us our rites right here.” 

“Such a scandal.” Ezra said with fake outrage and Crowley grinned, kissing him again and again. “I’d rather you didn’t cause any discourse by doing something rash. What you’ve said about waiting? I can wait, don’t you worry about that.”

“Are you sure?”

“My heart has always been yours, darling, and waiting for our wedding will never change that.” Ezra murmured, leaning up to kiss him once more. “I promise you that.” 

* * *

Aziraphale and Anthony Crowley married the following year. 

It took place on a delightful spring afternoon and the entire company had been in attendance, whether it was in the audience or in the actual ceremony. There had been multiple other people that  _ had _ to be invited, but Aziraphale had been insistent on inviting the people who had helped them get to where they were. Crowley wholeheartedly agreed. 

Gabriel had walked Aziraphale down the aisle to where Crowley waited at the altar. Gabriel hadn’t hesitated a moment before agreeing to do so and just as eagerly stood at his side during the ceremony. Bee stood at his side as well while Hastur and Ligur stood by Crowley’s. In just a handful of hours, Ezra Fell became Aziraphale Crowley, husband to King Anthony J. Crowley, while surrounded by the people he called family and never wanted to be known as anything else.

Together, Crowley and Aziraphale ruled side-by-side for many, many years, restoring the kingdom of Eden to its former glory. Their love never faltered, only growing stronger as time went on, and it was said that a love like theirs was one of a kind, something that people could only dream of achieving in their lifetime. 

The story of their love had been retold numerous times in a multitude of ways, some more outrageous than others, while some were completely spot on despite how no one who knew the truth had ever told a soul about where Aziraphale had originally come from or how he’d arrived in Eden. 

While there were so many versions of the same story, regardless of the more minor details, they all managed to end in the exact same way: 

They lived happily ever after. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has officially come to a close. Thank you all for coming on this journey and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Comments? Love those! Tell me your thoughts!

**Author's Note:**

> I love hearing what you all are thinking when you read every chapter :) 
> 
> Thank you for all of your nice words!


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